Deposed Myanmar leader, Suu Kyi, jailed five years for corruption

A military court in Myanmar on Wednesday, sentenced the country’s deposed leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to five years in prison after finding her guilty on 11 corruption cases leveled against her.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate and leader of Myanmar’s opposition to military rule, was charged with 18 offences carrying a combined maximum jail term of nearly 190 years, all but killing off any chance of a political comeback.

But a judge in the court which was held in secret in the capital, Naypyitaw, handed down the verdict within moments of the court convening and gave no further explanation as information was restricted.

Suu Kyi, who has attended all of her hearings, was displeased with the outcome and said she would appeal, according to her media team.

The 76-year-old led Myanmar rules for five years during a short period of tentative democracy before being forced from power in a coup in February 2021 by the military, which has ruled the former British colony for five of the past six decades.

Read also: Over 30 people, including women, children killed, bodies burned in Myanmar

Since her arrest, Kyi has been held in an undisclosed location, where junta chief Min Aung Hlaing previously said she could remain after earlier convictions in December and January for comparatively minor offences, for which she was sentenced to six years altogether.

The latest case centred on allegations that Suu Kyi, accepted 11.4 kg (402 oz) of gold and cash payments totalling $600,000 from her protege-turned-accuser, former chief minister of the city of Yangon, Phyo Min Thein.

Suu Kyi called the allegations “absurd” and denied all charges against her, which included violations of electoral and state secrets laws, incitement and corruption.

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