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Use of memorabilia for sex acts in Manila Hotel's MacArthur suite bared

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Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON - A retired US Navy admiral and eight other high-ranking officers have been charged with corruption and other offenses in a sprawling bribery probe dubbed the &quot;Fat Leonard&quot; case, prosecutors said Tuesday.Retired Rear Admiral Bruce Loveless, a Navy intelligence officer, is the second admiral to be charged in the case, which has now grown to include 25 named defendants.Malaysian businessman Leonard Francis -- dubbed &quot;Fat Leonard&quot; on account of his portly figure -- is at the center of the case and awaiting US sentencing after admitting his port-services company plied officers with cash, prostitutes and other perks to ensure US Navy ships stopped at ports where his firm operated.In one incident, Francis hosted a dinner in Hong Kong at which Loveless and others allegedly gorged on an eight-course meal featuring black truffle soup, rock lobster salad, caviar, pan-seared duck liver and other fancy foods.&quot;Each course was paired with Champagne or fine wine,&quot; prosecutors said, and the total cost of the event was &quot;approximately&quot; $18,371.Loveless was taken into custody at his home in Coronado on Tuesday and was expected to make his first appearance in federal court later in the day.Loveless&#x27;s LinkedIn profile says he retired in October 2016 after serving three decades as an intelligence officer in the Navy. He did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.&quot;He directly and indirectly, corruptly demanded, sought, received, accepted, and agreed to receive and accept things of value... including entertainment, hotel stays, and the services of prostitutes,&quot; the indictment stated.According to prosecutors, Francis had picked up the tab on widespread debauchery including a May 2008 &quot;raging multi-day party, with a rotating carousel of prostitutes, during which the conspirators drank all of the Dom Perignon available at the Shangri-La&quot; hotel in Manila at a cost of more than $50,000.In one port visit by the USS Blue Ridge in 2007, historical memorabilia in the MacArthur Suite at the Manila Hotel related to legendary US Army General Douglas MacArthur &quot;were used by the participants in sexual acts,&quot; the indictment stated.Loveless is the second rear admiral to have been charged in the case.In June last year, Rear Admiral Robert Gilbeau admitted before a federal judge in San Diego that he had lied when he told investigators he had never received gifts from Francis.

WASHINGTON - A retired US Navy admiral and eight other high-ranking officers have been charged with corruption and other offenses in a sprawling bribery probe dubbed the "Fat Leonard" case, prosecutors said Tuesday.

WASHINGTON - A retired US Navy admiral and eight other high-ranking officers have been charged with corruption and other offenses in a sprawling bribery probe dubbed the "Fat Leonard" case, prosecutors said Tuesday.