By Belize Live News Staff: The release of former Salvadoran president Tony Saca after a decade behind bars is a reminder that in some countries, even a head of state can go to prison for stealing public money.
Saca pleaded guilty to diverting and laundering more than US$300 million from El Salvador’s state budget while in office from 2004 to 2009. He served a full 10 year sentence and was released on Thursday. He was also ordered to repay millions to the state.
In Belize, the story is very different. As far as we are aware, no elected official in Belize has ever been put behind bars for corruption.
Over the years, Belizeans have seen many scandals involving public funds, contracts and land, along with calls for investigations, audits and accountability. But those cases have rarely, if ever, ended with a politician serving jail time.
El Salvador’s own record is far from perfect. Of four former presidents charged with corruption, Saca is the only one who went to prison. Two others fled to Nicaragua, and one died before his trial.
Still, Saca’s case shows that prosecution of top officials is possible when institutions are willing and able to act.
For many Belizeans, it raises a simple question: when public money goes missing here, who is held responsible?
