Analysts: Navy bribery trial to expose pervasive problem

By JULIE WATSON
Associated Press

San Diego (AP) — Dozens of U.S. Navy officials have admitted to being bought off by a gregarious, rotund Malaysian defense contractor known as “Fat Leonard” who plied them with prostitutes, Cuban cigars and free stays at the Philippines’ Shangri-La hotel among other things. Now the last five defendants are standing trial in San Diego. The case has centered around Leonard Glenn Francis who admitted in 2015 to offering $500,000 in bribes to Navy officers. In exchange, the officers passed him classified information and even went so far as redirecting military vessels to ports that were lucrative for his Singapore-based ship servicing company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia.