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Asia News Crime PAKISTAN

The Barely Acknowledged Child Abuse Crisis in Pakistan

Pakistan is one of the leading countries with child sexual abuse (CSA) in the world where around 550,000 (0.55 million) children, both boys and girls, are annually raped, but hardly a few hundred cases of sexual abuse come to the surface.

Last week Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency claimed to have arrested from Peshawar, the leader of a gang involved in sexually abusing children and recording obscene videos of minors at gunpoint. On March 17, another case in Kohat came to light where six persons were found assaulting a 13 year old boy for days and threatened to upload the immoral act on social media if he dared disclose the matter to anyone.

Pakistan is one of the leading countries with child sexual abuse (CSA) in the world where around 550,000 (0.55 million) children, both boys and girls, are annually raped, but hardly a few hundred cases of sexual abuse come to the surface. Pakistan ranks third globally in online child abuse. More than 12 cases of child abuse are reported daily in Pakistan. In 2022, a total of 4,253 cases of child abuse were reported, with half of them being sexual abuse. In 2023, there were 2,227 abuse victims, with 54% being girls. Reported cases include sexual abuse, abductions, missing children, and child marriages. Despite being  widely prevalent it is rarely recognized as a social problem.

Among the most notable cases are those of Zainab Ansari, a minor girl, who was raped and murdered in Kasur in 2018; Faizan Muhammad, a nine-year-old, suffered a similar fate in Kasur in 2019. At the time of her death, Kasur was often referred to as “the child abuse capital of Pakistan”, due to the horrifying revelation in 2015 that a paedophile ring had sexually abused 280 children from impoverished areas on the outskirts of the city, filming and selling videos of the assaults. More recently in August 2023, a minor girl named Fatima Phuriro was allegedly brutally tortured and raped in a Haweli (mansion) in Sindh’s Ranipur. The postmortem report confirmed the torture and rape. Pir Asad Shah Jilani, accused of selling a live video of the sexually abused child on the dark web, was implicated in this case.

But according to Prof Naeem Zafar, a leading child rights activist, “Child sexual abuse which we see through media is just a tip of the iceberg, as, according to our research, over five lakh and fifty thousand children, both boys and girls are sexually abused — in fact raped in Pakistan every year.” At the 26th Biennial International Conference in Karachi, Prof. Zafar, said that despite having laws in place for child protection, they are not implemented and child sexual abuse often goes unnoticed or no action is taken by the authorities as children are considered as “property” of their patents. Dr Kishwar Enam from Aga Khan University, while discussing child marriages in Pakistan, said that one in six children in Pakistan are married off in their childhood.[1]

The Zainab Alert Bill passed in the National Assembly following eight-year-old Zainab’s rape and murder in Sukkur in 2018, remains words on paper and is yet to be implementation. The failure of the authorities to restrict movement of sex offenders has had serious repercussions in the past. In August 2022, a rapist convicted in Rawalpindi, moved to Peshawar where he raped three minor girls before gruesomely killing two of them.

In its half-yearly report, Islamabad-based NGO Sahil, operating since 1996, said a  total of 2,227 cases of child sexual abuse were reported to the authorities between January and June 2023.[2] The Sahil report further said almost 75 percent of these cases were reported from Punjab, the country’s most populous province.

The absence of an official database for paedophiles coupled with a weak legal system, allows for these heinous crimes to last for years. The conviction rate in children’s sexual abuse cases is not even 2 percent and due to social and economic pressures faced by the families of the victims, and the stigma associated with sexual abuse, most of these cases, which do go through legal processes, are settled by compromise between the two parties. According to a report presented in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly, regarding cases of child sexual abuse during the past three years in Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan, only 5 per cent of the accused were convicted, while the remaining were either released due to improper investigations or were still awaiting decisions.

Speaking to DW, Hasnain Muqqdas a survivor of sexual abuse, from the Kotly Satiyan area of Punjab says that he has no hope that justice will be delivered. “In my case, despite the fact that the sexual abuse was filmed and went viral, the perpetrators have been released,” … “The police did not even bother to carry out a forensic investigation of the video. This was really very disappointing.”

A documentary ‘Streets of Shame’ directed by Emmy Award-winner Mohammed Naqvi and written by Jamie Doran,  highlights how Pakistan as a country is in denial, turning a blind eye to the sexual exploitation of tens of thousands of poor and vulnerable children. It focuses on the north-western city of Peshawar, where it is estimated 9 in every 10 street children have been sexually abused. In towns and cities across Pakistan, tens of thousands of vulnerable young boys have become the victims of paedophile predators who seem to have nothing to fear from the law. It’s an open secret that few acknowledge publicly and even fewer want to do anything about. In a society where women are hidden from view and young girls deemed untouchable, the bus stations, truck stops and alleyways have become the hunting ground for perverted men to prey on the innocent. In one survey alone, 95% of truck drivers admitted having sex with boys was their favourite entertainment. The documentary former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan says he’s shocked by the footage shown: “I must say I know it happened, but I didn’t realise it happened to the extent you are saying.”[3]

A lack of monitoring of places such as religious seminaries and detention centres also makes it possible for perpetrators to target children. The true scope of the child abuse crisis in Pakistan remains unknown.


[1] Over half a million children raped in Pakistan annually but most cases go unnoticed: experts (thenews.com.pk)

[2] A child was sexually abused every two hours in Pakistan this year, NGO says | Sexual Assault News | Al Jazeera

[3] Streets of Shame – ABC News

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-Top News Crime India News

Bengaluru Cafe Blast: Manhunt Begins As Cops Trace Visuals of Suspect

The footage shows the alleged bomber wearing a white cap, grey shirt and black pants, carrying a dish at the Rameshwaram cafe before the blast.

 Karnataka Police have traced the visuals of the suspected bomber in the Bengaluru IED explosion case.

The police after obtaining the CCTV footage of the suspected bomber — with backpack allegedly carrying a bomb — have launched a manhunt for the accused in Mangaluru city, neighbouring Kerala and in Tamil Nadu.

The footage shows the alleged bomber wearing a white cap, grey shirt and black pants, carrying a dish at the Rameshwaram cafe before the blast.

In another video, the accused bomber is seen walking hurriedly on the road towards the cafe with the backpack.

The police said that they will nab the accused soon.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will also chair a high-level meeting to discuss the security situation of the state.

On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that the accused would be arrested in a few hours.

Karnataka State Police Chief Alok Mohan has said that central agencies the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) have been informed about the incident.

Sources said that the national agencies are assisting in the investigation.

The HAL police station has registered the case under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 (UAPA) and the Explosive Substances Act.

The incident took place at the Rameshwaram Cafe on the Information Technology Park Limited (ITPL) Road in the Whitefield area between 12.50 p.m. and 1 p.m.

At least 10 persons, including hotel staff and customers, were injured in the incident.

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Business Crime Legal

Byju’s Fund Misuse Claims Surface

Byju’s key investors — Prosus, General Atlantic, Sofina and Peak XV — have moved the tribunal against the embattled edtech major over its $200 million rights issue….reports Asian Lite News

Key investors in Byju’s alleged on Tuesday that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating diversion of funds of over $500 million by the edtech company to a hedge fund in the US.

In the ongoing hearing at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in Bengaluru, the investors alleged that the address of the hedge fund was a “pancake shop” and its founder “is a 23-year-old without any training”.

“About $533 million has been siphoned off. He (Byju Raveendran) wants us to invest more money. How will we be protected?”

Byju’s key investors — Prosus, General Atlantic, Sofina and Peak XV — have moved the tribunal against the embattled edtech major over its $200 million rights issue.

During the hearing, the investors claimed that “if the amount is parked in their bank account especially when the man is sitting abroad and is not coming to India, it will become irreversible”.

Earlier in the day, the investors argued that the process adopted by Byju’s for its $200 million rights issue is “in breach of laws”.

They said that the board of directors had to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of shareholders before the rights issue so that they could vote.

“The board of directors did not call a general body meeting before rights issues as they are aware that the general body is not in their favour,” argued the lawyer on investors’ behalf.

“Our 25.4 per cent stake will come down to 2.5 per cent if we don’t subscribe to the rights issue. If we subscribe, we don’t know what happens to our money,” the investors said.

Byju’s argued that the investors were “forum shopping” by approaching the NCLT.

“If the NCLT passes any order today, it will dilute the order of Karnataka HC,” the company’s lawyer said.

“The investors are not looking at the interest of 100 million students and the 12,000 employees but only at their value maximisation.”

“It has been 21 months since our last capital raise,” the company added.

ALSO READ: ‘Regulations Propel India to Fintech Pinnacle’

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Crime Politics USA

Trump Jr. Receives Envelope with White Powdery Substance

Trump Jr. personally opened the letter and upon discovering the substance, promptly contacted emergency services….reports Asian Lite News

Donald Trump Jr., the son of former President Donald Trump, encountered a concerning incident at his Florida residence. A letter containing a white powdery substance arrived at his Jupiter home on Monday afternoon, prompting immediate response from law enforcement and hazmat units.

Trump Jr. personally opened the letter and upon discovering the substance, promptly contacted emergency services. Authorities swiftly intervened, with responders donning protective gear to assess the situation.

While initial tests indicated the substance was not lethal, its exact nature remains uncertain pending further laboratory analysis. Both postal officials and federal law enforcement agencies are actively involved in the investigation.

Although the U.S. Secret Service declined to comment, sources revealed that Trump Jr. no longer receives Secret Service protection. The FBI Miami field office issued a statement urging vigilance and cooperation from the public in reporting any suspicious activities.

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-Top News Asia News Crime

23,000 Pakistanis Held in Foreign Prisons, Reveals Shocking Report

According to the data, 23,456 Pakistani citizens were imprisoned in foreign countries, including 15,587 convicts and 7,869 under-trial prisoners….reports Asian Lite News

Over 23000 Pakistani nationals have been jailed in the foreign prisons including 15,587 convicts, the Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights was informed on Tuesday, The Express Tribune reported.

According to the report, Pakistan foreign ministry presented data of Pakistani prisoners abroad during a meeting chaired by Waleel Iqbal.

According to the data, 23,456 Pakistani citizens were imprisoned in foreign countries, including 15,587 convicts and 7,869 under-trial prisoners.

The highest number of those Pakistani prisoners was in Saudi Arabia, where 12,156 were languishing in different jails. This is followed by 5,292 prisoners at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) jails. The data further showed that currently 706 Pakistanis were held in Indian jails.

The ministry said that 338 Pakistanis were held in Qatar, 519 in Iraq, 450 in Bahrain, 59 in Kuwait, 308 in Turkey, 255 in Malaysia, 88 in Afghanistan, 100 in Iran and 400 in China, The Express Tribune reported.

In the Europe, 811 Pakistani citizens were imprisoned in Greece, 330 in Great Britain, 330 in Italy, besides 44 in the United States.

The committee also discussed the Prisoner Transfer Agreement.

The Express Tribune reported that officials from the foreign ministry and the interior ministry said that Pakistan had prisoner exchange agreement with 11 countries, including Azerbaijan, China, Iran, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE and the United Kingdom.

The committee directed the foreign ministry to make a uniform consular protection policy within 90 days. It also directed the ministry to release the details of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement with various countries on its website. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Political instability aggravates Pakistan’s economy crisis

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-Top News Canada Crime

Another Sikh separatist’s house hit by gunfire in Canada

While no injuries were reported, the Peel Regional police could not rule out that more shots were fired at the house….reports Asian Lite News

The house of a Sikh separatist, associated with pro-Khalistan leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun who is a designated terrorist in India, has been hit by gunfire in Canada’s Ontario province, a media report said.

The incident comes just days after multiple shots were fired at the Surrey home of Simranjeet Singh — a “friend” of banned Khalistan Tiger Force leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist in India, who was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia last year.

According to The Guardian, a bullet hole was found in the window of an unfinished house, belonging to Khalistan supporter Inderjit Singh Gosal, in Brampton on Monday.

While no injuries were reported, the Peel Regional police could not rule out that more shots were fired at the house.

But they confirmed that a single bullet hole had been found with Constable Tyler Bell-Morena of Peel Regional Police saying it is “too early” to link the shooting to Gosal’s role in the Khalistan movement.

Gosal recently announced that a pro-Khalistan rally would be held outside the Indian consulate in Toronto on February 17.

According to the report, Gosal works closely with Pannun, who is the chief legal counsel of the outlawed Sikhs for Justice and was the target of a foiled assassination bid in the US.

The shooting incidents come just as India and Canada accused each other of interfering in their “internal affairs”.

Recently, Canada named India as a “foreign threat” that could potentially interfere in their elections, months after they accused New Delhi of playing a role in the killing Nijjar on Canadian soil in June last year.

India categorically denied the allegation levelled by Canadian agencies of “interference” as “absurd” and “motivated”.

Further, India said that it is Canada that has been interfering in India’s internal affairs. India has time and again asserted that the “core issue” with Canada is the space it gives to separatists, terrorists, and anti-India elements on its soil.

“It is not the government of India’s policy to interfere in democratic processes of other countries. In fact, quite on the reverse, it is Canada which has been interfering in our internal affairs,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

ALSO READ: Gunfire Strikes Home of Pro-Khalistan Activist in Canada’s Ontario

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-Top News Crime UK News

Foreign Students Fight UK English Test Scandal

Fresh evidence has recently been presented in the court that questions the Home Office’s cheating allegations against 35,000 international students….reports Asian Lite News

A group of international students, including many Indians, who had their visas revoked almost 10 years ago after accusations of cheating in English language tests in the UK, are making renewed efforts to clear their names.

According to a report in The Guardian, fresh evidence has recently been presented in the court that questions the Home Office’s cheating allegations against 35,000 international students.

The Home Office abruptly terminated the visas of these students, making their stay in the country illegal overnight, following a 2014 BBC documentary reporting allegations of cheating at two of the UK’s language testing centres for international students.

About 2,500 students were deported after immigration enforcement teams mounted dawn raids on students’ accommodation, the news report said.

While some 7,200 students left the country after detention threats, thousands stayed protesting “flawed evidence” as they struggled with homelessness, huge legal fees, and stress-induced illnesses.

After judges and watchdog reports highlighted flaws in the evidence of cheating, around 3,600 won appeals against the Home Office, while the rest of them couldn’t because of the prohibitive cost of taking legal action.

Abdul Qadir Mohammad, 36, who left India in 2010 to study business in London, spent more than 20,000 pounds trying to clear his name in the scandal, pushing him and his family into debt.

Abdul told The Guardian that he gets “panic attacks” and feels ashamed to face my family back home who ask him: “Abdul you have lived in the UK for 14 years. What have you achieved?”

“…my father is still angry with me. He has spent so much money first on my education and then on trying to clear my name. He had a small grocery shop and saved up to put 15,000 pounds into my college fees. I’ve got debts on my credit card of £10,000. My mother sold her gold to support me…” he said.

The Hyderabad resident said he feels angry about how the whole issue has been handled, destroying his life.

“These tests are easy to pass; I had no reason to cheat… I want to clear my name and get on with my studies. I spend my days sitting in the park, desperately waiting for my hearing,” he told The Guardian.

The students had also approached and presented a petition to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March last year, seeking his help to clear their names.

In their petition to the Prime Minister, the students called for a simple, free mechanism to apply for a decision or reconsideration of their case.

They also wanted the immigration record of every student cleared of cheating, facilitate their return to study, or support those on work or entrepreneur visas to find new jobs or restart their businesses — by removing barriers created by the cheating allegations.

After the BBC report, then Home Secretary Theresa May asked the US-based test provider, Educational Testing Service (ETS) to investigate, which found that 97 per cent of its English tests taken in the UK between 2011 and 2014 were in some way suspicious.

According to a 2019 report by the Public Accounts Committee, the Home Office “rushed to penalise overseas students, and did not bother to find out whether ETS was involved in fraud or if it had reliable evidence”.

ALSO READ: Health to become a key UK poll issue

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-Top News Crime USA

Musk ordered to testify in SEC’s Twitter probe

The SEC sued Musk in October to compel him to testify as part of an investigation into his $44bn purchase of what is now known as X….reports Asian Lite News

Elon Musk has been ordered to testify again as part of an investigation by US regulators into his 2022 purchase of the social media platform Twitter, later renamed X.

A California federal court ruling released on Saturday gave the Tesla and SpaceX chief a week to agree with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) on a date and place for the interview after Musk refused to attend a previous sit-down in September.

In the order, US magistrate judge Laurel Beeler said the parties had initially agreed to a date “but ultimately the respondent (Musk) did not appear and resists the subpoena on the grounds that the SEC’s investigation is baseless and harassing and seeks irrelevant information”.

The SEC sued Musk in October to compel him to testify as part of an investigation into his $44bn purchase of what is now known as X. The commission also seeks his testimony on whether he followed the law when filling out the required paperwork about Twitter stock purchases as well as whether his statements in relation to buying the platform were accurate.

According to the order, Musk’s attorneys had said he would not appear because regulators had leaked information to the media. Musk’s team also argued the investigation was frivolous, and it said document requests as well as demand for testimony again in the face of an investigation “arising from the accidental tardiness of a clerical filing” was troubling government action.

Beeler, in forcing an interview, rejected that argument and said regulators had authority to issue the subpoena for relevant information. If the SEC and Musk cannot agree on a date and time for the interview, Beeler said she would hear from both sides and decide for them.

The action dates back to a notorious 2018 tweet in which Musk said “funding secured” when he was attempting to take Tesla private.

Regulators claimed that was a breach of a securities laws that prohibit publicly traded companies from announcing plans to buy or sell securities if executives don’t intend to complete, don’t have the means to complete, or are trying to manipulate the stock price.

In a settlement, Musk agreed that a Tesla lawyer would vet his tweets about the electric vehicle maker. But regulators sued him again a year later for allegedly breaching the agreement. Musk then petitioned the US supreme court to review the agreement, saying it violates his right to free speech.

In 2022, regulators asked Musk for information about the delayed disclosure of his Twitter stake, which he reported a week late. He testified twice that year, the SEC said. A third interview, Musk claims, amounts to government “harassment”.

The dispute is not Musk’s only run-in with the government. In November, he lost a bid to stop the federal trade commission (FTC) from continuing to oversee X’s handling of private user data.

Musk had called the agency’s action “a shameful case of weaponization of a government agency for political purposes and suppression of the truth!”

ALSO READ: Musk announces to shift Tesla’s incorporation to Texas  

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Crime India News Politics

SC appalled by ‘defacing’ of ballots in Chandigarh Mayoral polls

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it is obvious that the returning officer has defaced the ballot papers…reports Asian Lite News

The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on the Returning Officer who held the Chandigarh Mayor elections, saying he was “murdering democracy” and ordered the preservation of the entire record of the election process, including ballot papers, videography and other material, through the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it is obvious that the returning officer has defaced the ballot papers.

“Is this the way he conducts the elections? This is a mockery of democracy. This is the murder of democracy. We are appalled. We will not allow democracy to be murdered this way. The man defaces ballots the moment he sees a cross at the bottom. This man should be prosecuted. Is this the behaviour of the returning officer?”

It directed that the meeting of the Chandigarh Corporation slated to be held on February 7 be deferred till further orders.

“Tell the Returning Officer that the Supreme Court is watching him. We will not allow democracy to be murdered like this. The great force in this country is the purity of the electoral process, but what has happened here?” said the bench.

The observations of the apex court came after it watched video of the controversial election.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kumar, said that the issue can be solved by holding a fresh election after sequestering the record.

The top court also issued notice on a petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party’s councillor Kuldeep Dhalor, who had lost the mayor election to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Manoj Sonkar on January 30.

The apex court’s remarks came while hearing the plea of AAP’s councillor after the BJP won the mayor election following the Returning Officer’s move to scrape eight opposition votes.

BJP’s Sonkar bagged 16 votes against the 12 votes received by Kumar, despite having 20 councillors. The action of rejecting eight votes of the AAP-Congress alliance as invalid had sparked allegations of vote tempering.

An AAP councillor challenged a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that refused to grant any interim relief to the party seeking fresh mayoral polls in Chandigarh.

Kuldeep Kumar, who lost the Chandigarh mayoral election, approached the apex court against the High Court’s refusal to grant an immediate stay on the election result in which the BJP candidate was declared the mayor.

On Wednesday, Punjab and Haryana High Court denied interim relief to the AAP, which alleged that ballot papers had been tampered with and sought fresh polls under the supervision of a retired judge of the court.

The appeal in the top court said that the High Court erred in not granting any interim relief to the AAP candidate in the form of a stay on the outcome of elections for the post of Mayor or directing the preservation of electoral records. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Modi to kick-start LS poll campaign  

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-Top News Crime USA

Leaker of Trump’s tax records gets 5-year prison term

Littlejohn leaked the information to two news outlets, deleted the documents from his IRS-assigned laptop before returning it…reports Asian Lute News

The man who stole and leaked former US President Donald Trump’s and thousands of others’ tax records has been sentenced to five years in prison, CNN reported on Tuesday.

It reported that 38-year-old Charles Littlejohn pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized disclosure of income tax returns. According to his plea agreement, he stole Trump’s tax returns along with the tax data of “thousands of the nation’s wealthiest people” while working for a consulting firm with contracts with the Internal Revenue Service.

Littlejohn leaked the information to two news outlets, deleted the documents from his IRS-assigned laptop before returning it and covered the rest of his digital tracks by deleting places where he initially stored the information.

CNN reported that Judge Ana Reyes highlighted the gravity of the crime, saying multiple times that it amounted to an attack against the US and its legal foundation.

“What you did in attacking the sitting president of the United States was an attack on our constitutional democracy,” Reyes said. “We’re talking about someone who…pulled off the biggest heist in IRS history.”

The judge compared Littlejohn’s actions to those of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, noting that, “your actions were also a threat to our democracy.”

“It engenders the same fear that January 6 does,” Reyes added.

Prosecutors said Littlejohn went through great lengths to steal the tax records undetected, exploiting system loopholes, downloading data to an Apple iPod and uploading the information on a private website he later deleted.

CNN reported that Reyes was also critical of the Justice Department’s decision to only bring one count against Littlejohn.

“The fact that he did what he did and he’s facing one felony count, I have no words for,” the judge said. Prosecutors argued that the one count covers the multitude of Littlejohn’s thefts and leaks.

“A free press and public engagement with the media are critical to any healthy democracy, but stealing and leaking private, personal tax information strips individuals of the legal protection of their most sensitive data,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing recommending Littlejohn be sentenced to the maximum of five years in prison.

“I acted out of a sincere misguided belief,” Littlejohn said in court Monday, adding that he was serving the country and that people had a right to the tax information.

“We as a country make the best decisions when we are all properly informed,” Littlejohn said, CNN reported.

Littlejohn added that he was “aware of the potential consequences” of his actions and knew he would one day be here, in federal court, facing those consequences.

“My actions undermine the fragile faith,” in government institutions in the US, Littlejohn said. (ANI)

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