Public officials should know illegality has consequences

Nothing wrecks a country more than when impunity reigns supreme, whether it is a dictatorship, authoritarian state or one which conducts regular elections.

Impunity is the freedom from punishment or consequences for illegal and wrongful actions. It means those with power, whether state or non-state actors, get away with theft, killings, rape and other crimes, willy-nilly. It is, in fact, impossible to have a benevolent dictatorship when impunity reigns, since those in power will inevitably take actions that are for personal rather than public benefit.