CARACAS - A fugitive Malaysian businessman nicknamed 'Fat Leonard' who is at the center of a major U.S. Navy bribery scandal wants to seek political asylum in Venezuela after being detained in the country last week, local media said Monday.
Leonard Glenn Francis was arrested on Sept. 21 at the international airport outside Caracas as he prepared to leave for Russia. He was under a red notification requested by the United States, Interpol's Venezuela chief said, adding that authorities were planning to begin his extradition procedure.
Venezuela's government-allied newspaper Ultimas Noticias, citing judicial sources, reported on Monday that the businessman appeared the next day in a court in Caracas.
