ABSTRACT
When the influence of a person increases, the opportunity for graft and cor rupt ion increases concomitantly. Thus , dictators are in an excellent position when it comes to abusing public office financially. Andreski claims that Latin American dictators are the biggest kleptocrats in the world.5
They make use of their pos i t ion , for example by giving gove rnmen t contracts and concessions of various kinds to companies that pass some of the profits generated back to the president or circles closely associated with the p r e s i d e n t , in t h e f o r m of h a r d cash , 'g i f t s ' of p r o p e r t y , e tc . Government sales and purchases are also prone to be affected. Valuable land is sold to the powerholders at below market prices and worthless tracts are bought from them. Public investment is systematically misdirected to favor the m e m b e r s of t h e ' in ' c l ique a n d the i r b u s i n e s s in t e res t s . Confiscation of property and illicit taxation are other methods that belong to the repertoire of corruption.
