Kleptocracy

A system of government in which leaders systematically use political power to divert public resources for private gain. It weakens public institutions by making state authority serve rulers’ wealth rather than public purposes.

Corruption: The abuse of entrusted power for private benefit. Kleptocracy is systematic political corruption embedded in the state’s use of public resources.
State Capture: The systematic control of public institutions by private interests for their own benefit. Kleptocrats can bend agencies and laws to protect extraction and block oversight.
Good Governance: The transparent, accountable, effective, and inclusive exercise of public authority. Its standards of accountability and public service oppose kleptocratic priorities.
Mobutu Sese Seko: The president of Zaire from 1965 to 1997, whose rule concentrated power and personal wealth. His regime is a widely cited example of personal enrichment through state power.
Anti-Corruption Agency: A public institution tasked with preventing, investigating, or prosecuting corruption. Independent agencies can investigate official enrichment and strengthen enforcement.
Embezzlement: The fraudulent appropriation of money or property entrusted to someone. Officials can divert public funds by misappropriating resources under their control.
Capital Flight: The large-scale movement of financial assets out of a country, often in response to risk or instability. Stolen wealth sent abroad drains investment and tax resources from the country.
Rule of Law: The principle that everyone, including government officials, is subject to publicly known laws. Independent legal constraints conflict with rulers’ ability to appropriate state resources with impunity.
Suharto: The Indonesian military leader who ruled as president from 1967 to 1998. His family and associates accumulated extensive wealth amid longstanding allegations of corruption.
Whistleblower: A person who exposes alleged wrongdoing within an organization or institution. Insiders can reveal concealed transactions and abuses that formal audits miss.

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