Myanmar Court Adds Former President Suu Kyi More 7yrs In Jail, To Serve 33yrs

By Spy Uganda Correspondent

A court in military-ruled Myanmar has found the country’s toppled leader Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of corruption charges, sentencing her to seven years in prison in the last of a string of criminal cases in an 18-month-long trial process, a legal official said.

A prisoner of the military since a 2021 coup, Aung San Suu Kyi, 77, has now been convicted on every charge leveled against her, ranging from corruption to illegally possessing walkie-talkies and flouting COVID-19 restrictions.

The court’s ruling on Friday leaves the deposed leader with a total of 33 years to serve in prison following the series of politically motivated prosecutions in the wake of the military seizing power in February 2021.

“All her cases were finished and there are no more charges against her,” a legal source, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media said.

In the case that concluded on Friday, Aung San Suu Kyi was alleged to have abused her position and caused a loss of state funds by neglecting to follow financial regulations in granting permission to Win Myat Aye, a cabinet member in her former government, to hire, buy and maintain a helicopter.

Aung San Suu Kyi was the de facto head of the government, holding the title of state counsellor. Win Myint, who was president in her government, was a co-defendant in the same case.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s previous convictions had already landed her a total of 26 years imprisonment.

“The question now will be what to do with Aung San Suu Kyi,” said Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group.

“Whether to allow her to serve out her sentence under some form of house arrest, or grant foreign envoys limited access to her,” he said.

“But the regime is unlikely to be in any rush to make such decisions.”