Ex-Enron boss jailed for 24 years. By Dan Martin
Former Enron boss Jeffrey Skilling has been sentenced to 24 years and four months in jail for his role in the financial scandal that led to the collapse of the energy giant.
In a case that has gripped the US for five years, the sentence handed down on the 52-year-old, who was chief executive of Enron at the height of the fraud, is one of the toughest ever for white-collar crime.
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Crime & punishment
Considering the number of lives the Enron bosses affected, I would say that the lengthy punishment certainly fits the SCALE of the crime. After all, a serial killer would get a longer sentence than a one-off murderer, so why should that principle not apply in fraud cases?
I agree that there are (or rather appear to be in many cases, thanks to the press reporting of only part of a story for dramatic purposes) some all too lenient sentences for other crimes.
However the Canary Wharf bombers were of course released as part of the Good Friday agreement as a means to a greater end, i.e. peace in Northern Ireland after many years of "troubles", so I really don't think your inclusion of them helps your argument.
GOOD!
GOOD!