Yesterday, by proclamation, the Mayor of Munchkinland was officially charged with multiple counts of corruption in association with his duties as Mayor in the county of the land of Oz.

                        “He’s facing some serious allegations including, wire fraud, tax evasion, influence peddling, and embezzlement of thousands of dollars from the Lollipop Guild,” said Oz’ State’s Attorney, Peco Bines.

                  In the charging document, it has also been alleged that the Mayor of Munchkinland accepted fifty thousand dollars in bribes and awarded a ten million dollar no-bid contract to Gulch Construction Company for the Yellow Brick Road twenty mile expansion project.  The Mayor has also been charged with multiple counts of nepotism.

                         “He has two hundred and forty-nine members of his own family on the county payroll,” said States Attorney Bines.   “And none of these employees have real jobs as far as we can ascertain.  All they do is dance and prance around all day, singing songs with very high pitched voices.  And they hide in the bushes when faced with any type of difficult civil servant duties like, directing traffic, cleaning graffiti, or confronting wicked witches.”

                 The list of charges against the Mayor goes on and includes accepting gifts in return for political favors.   Some of the gifts include, hundreds of dollars of free perms at several hair salons, and dozens of free, front row  tickets to a sold out TOTO concert last spring at the Oz Pavilion.

             “This type of corruption is unacceptable and the Mayor will be held accountable for all of his misdeeds,” said Mr. Bines.  “No one is above the law.  Not nobody, not no how!”