US defense department hit by corruption scandal

More scandal in the ranks of the US Navy. Federal prosecutors made a third arrest in a bribery scandal this week. Officials claim the navy member traded insider secrets for prostitutes, travel perks and about 100-thousand dollars in cash.

41 year old Cmdr. Jose Luis Sanchez, was arrested in Florida on charges that he gave classified information about ship movements to a Singapore-based contractor that has serviced Navy ships and submarines in the Pacific for about 25 years.

The scandal is one of the biggest the Navy has faced in decades. Two other Navy personnel were arrested in September under similar circumstances.

This is also happening as the problem of sex assaults in the military are being addressed on Capitol Hill.

And another Navy captain who has been accused of corruption has been relieved of duty from his ship although he has not been charged. Experts say that this and other problems in the US military have a strong impact on public opinion.

Prosecutors in U.S. attorney’s office in San Diego are supervising the investigation, along with senior officials from the US Department of Justice. They’re pushing to have Sanchez brought there to face charges. However, the prevailing attitude is that unless the press pursues this case strongly it will be swept under the rug from public consumption.

An investigation is ongoing and the Navy’s top brass is pledging transparency. But if past is prologue details on US military impropriety will be hard to come by.
0 0