VOA标准英语2010年-Former S. African Top Cop Receives Pri
时间：2019-02-06 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2010年(八)月
South Africa's former police chief and ex-president of Interpol Jackie Selebi looks on during a hearing at the High Court of Johannesburg, on 3 Aug 2010
The former head of South Africa's national police force and former president of Interpol has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption 1.
Judge Mayer Joffe imposed the 15-year sentence on former national police chief Jackie Selebi, calling him an embarrassment 2 to his country and the officers who served under him.
"I am satisfied that a sentence of 15 years imprisonment 3 is an appropriate sentence in the present matter," said Joffe. "A sentence of 15 years imprisonment is not disproportionate to the crime and the needs of society so that an injustice 4 would be done by imposing 5 that sentence."
The judge said he had considered defense 6 arguments for a lesser 7 sentence because Selebi is 60 years old and it was his first offense 8. But he said the seriousness of corruption and its effect on society could not be ignored.
Under South African law, 15 years is the minimum sentence.
The court subsequently freed Selebi on bail 9 so that he could appeal.
The former top cop and president of the International Criminal Police Organization, INTERPOL, was found guilty last month of taking bribes 10 totaling more than $160,000 during a five-year period beginning in 2000.
These included payments and gifts from convicted drug smuggler 11 Glenn Agliotti who turned state's evidence against his former friend. During the trial, the judge called Selebi and Agliotti liars 12 and unreliable witnesses.
A professor of law at the University of South Africa, Shadrack Gutto, said on national radio that it was a landmark 13 case.
"It is really setting a good example that it does not matter what office you hold in the country," said Gutto. "Everyone is equal before the law."
Selebi is one of the highest ranking officials in South Africa to be convicted of misuse 14 of office.
He is a former anti-apartheid activist who is well connected in the ruling African National Congress, and his lengthy case frequently disturbed the political hierarchy
- The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
- The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。
- She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
- Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。
- His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
- He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。
- They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
- All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。