Myanmar Junta Court to Rule in Final Case Against Suu Kyi
A court in military-ruled Myanmar will deliver its final verdicts in cases against deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday, said a source familiar with her trials.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 77, was arrested when the military seized power on Feb. 1 previous year in a coup that ended a decade of tentative democracy and plunged the country into chaos.
The case relates to the rental and purchase of a helicopter for use during natural disasters and state affairs, including rescues and emergencies.
The regime alleges that U Win Myint and Suu Kyi broke the law and squandered government funds on the helicopter. The pair face five counts of corruption and up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Aung San Suu Kyi has denied the charges, insisting she was 'just giving instructions according to office procedures.'
The scheduled date of the verdict has prompted speculation that the two might have their long prison sentences commuted when the regime grants an expected general amnesty to mark the new year and the 75th anniversary of Myanmar's Independence Day, which falls on Jan. 4.
National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Suu Kyi has already been given 26 years in prison on 14 charges filed by the regime, and U Win Myint has received five years on three charges. Suu Kyi is being held in Naypyitaw Prison, and U Win Myint is believed to be under house arrest in a secret location in Naypyitaw.
Faced with international pressure, the regime granted amnesties on the country's national holidays previous year and this year, and freed some political prisoners to mark the country's National Day previous month.
In its recent resolution on Myanmar, the United Nations Security Council demanded that the regime release all political prisoners, including the two leader.
Lawyers for the two sides made their closing arguments at the junta court in Naypyitaw Prison on Monday, and the court set the date for the verdict as Dec. 30.
Both U Win Myint and Suu Kyi have denied the charges, calling them baseless.
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