Tunisia To Extradite Former First Lady That Stole $50,000,000 In Gold

Leila Ben Ali

The government of Tunisia has wisely decided to extradite former First Lady, Leila Ben Ali, who fled their nation with $50,000,000 in gold bricks, stolen directly from the Treasury. Ben Ali, brazenly took the valuables and has attempted to set up a luxury lifestyle in Saudi Arabia with some of her nation's pilfered wealth.

Two other First Ladies that should face charges for profligate spending - Grace Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Africa and Michele Bennet, formerly of Haiti. As a general rule for all First Ladies worldwide, if you want to increase your bank accounts while in office, write a book and stop stealing the people's money. That goes for First Men (Heads of State) as well.

The world is mired in such financial chaos, with people genuinely suffering as a result of it, no one should be depriving the populace of their money or state assistance in line with reasonable standards of living. Lavish living by the government on the people's dime needs to stop.

RELATED ARTICLES

Tunisia's Former First Lady Stole Millions In Gold

Jean-Claude Duvalier's Ex-Wife Stole $94 Million From Haiti

STORY SOURCE

Tunisia seeks to extradite Ben Ali's wife, dissolve party

Duvalier Cost The People Of Haiti $500 Million

Jean-Claude Duvalier was arrested in Haiti this week for human rights abuses and corruption

Former Haitian President, Jean-Claude Duvalier and his family, cost the people of Haiti, an estimated $500,000,000 in stolen and misappropriated funds. The pillaging took place during his father François' tenure and his own. Had this money been properly invested, it would have reaped many millions more for Haiti's poor.

Duvalier and his family hid money abroad, purchased expensive sports cars, designer clothes, Louis Vuitton luggage, a chateau in France and an apartment in Paris. These unjustifiable expenditures infuriated Haitians at home and abroad, as they witnessed as their loved ones went without.

During a time of national financial struggle, Duvalier's wedding to Michele Bennet cost Haiti's taxpayers $3,000,000. A multi-million dollar home in Haiti was also given to Bennet's family to live in luxury as well (it was later seized by a new government and turned into an orphanage).

Currently, Haiti is considered the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere and it is not the Haitian people's fault. The earthquake is not the main reason either. Haiti, a nation of 10,000,000 people, should not be in this financial predicament and it is squarely due to the Duvalier years in office.

Haitian people worked hard, paid their taxes and it was squandered by the Duvaliers. Money that was needed to create jobs, expand infrastructure and build on social programs, went to bankrolling one family's lifestyle that almost rivaled Marie Antoinette and Saddam Hussein in extravagance.

None of the Haitians I know in Miami have ever spoken well of the Duvalier family. The mere mention of the Duvalier name brings back painful memories of tumultuous times in their beloved nation's history.

However, Haiti is at a crossroads. Like many nations, it has experienced a terrible natural disaster. It is time to rebuild on a new foundation and forgive old grievances, to help national emotional wounds heal. If Duvalier wants to help Haiti, as he has stated, he should give the nation his financial support and leave the governance to the next elected President.