Tyrants Inc.

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After impoverishing his country, killing thousands and stealing a fortune, Africa's most notorious fallen tyrant is facing a rising clamour for him to face justice.

Charles Taylor, the deposed president of Liberia, benefits from asylum in Nigeria despite being the subject of an Interpol arrest warrant and an indictment on 17 counts of war crimes.

	Charles Taylor: Africa's most prominent fugitive

A life steeped in bloodshed has not prevented Taylor from enjoying Nigeria's official hospitality and a grace-and-favour residence in a government lodge in the city of Calabar.

Yet his immunity may be about to end. Yesterday, 300 human rights groups, including Amnesty International, urged Nigeria to surrender Taylor for a war crimes trial.

Kolawole Olaniyan, the director of Amnesty's Africa programme, said this would "not only bring justice to the countless victims of Charles Taylor and their families" but combat the "disastrous cycle of impunity in West Africa".

Nigeria's government prizes its reputation. President Olusegun Obasanjo will address the G8 summit in Gleneagles next week, one of a few African leaders granted this favour.

Unless he surrenders Taylor, Mr Obasanjo will find himself pledging "good governance" while harbouring Africa's most prominent fugitive.

And, of course, previous presidents of Nigeria have stolen 220pounds of oil revenue...
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That is as much as all the western aid given to Africa in almost four decades. The looting of Africa's most populous country amounted to a sum equivalent to 300 years of British aid for the continent.

The figures, compiled by Nigeria's anti-corruption commission, provide dramatic evidence of the problems facing next month's summit in Gleneagles of the G8 group of wealthy countries which are under pressure to approve a programme of debt relief for Africa.

Nigeria's new civilian president is trying to get their act togther, but they haven't found most of the money...Of course, the big secret is that European and probably USA banks are involved in hiding the money...

Corruption is not limited to Africa. Right now, Gloria the squeaky clean president of the Philippines is involved in a bribery scandal....and Imelda of the shoes is still wandering around free...

Same old same old...