Well, i did say ""half crooks"" 50% decent 50 crooks, it's a nasty mixture but they figured it works among the peasants
(gray mass of voters who dont understand what they are voting for) who condone for their acts, well rather "forgets their crime.
I got the "half" part, but while that may be for Sweden, for Brazil the crooks are about 95%, with an error or +/- 5%. So it might well be all of them!
I ponder how JAS will perform in the heat of Southamerica, since it was designed for a rather different environment.
Let me give you some info that might explain that.
At the time, the other candidates for the purchase were the F-18 Hornet and the Rafale, both being tried and tested fighters, including being deployed on real war scenarios (specially the F-18). All the Brazilian Air Force specialists involved in the case were certain that the F-18 was the better candidate, which is true, and the Gripen was the worst possible choice. Not only it [the JAS Gripen] wasn't a complete project back then, but its operating costs were virtually unknown. It can't be deployed from a sea carrier, it's max load is 60% of the F-18 and, again, it had never been tested on battle because it wasn't ready.
At the time, the Ministry of Defense, the department in charge of the purchase was run by military personnel. During the negotiations, Pres. Lula da Silva (of the same party as Dilma, "PT") changed the minister of difense for a civilian that belonged to his party. Then all of a sudden the Gripen automagically was being stated as the better choice and was eventually purchased.
BTW, during the negotiations with Boeing for the F-18, Brazil got the go-ahead from the US DoD to purchase the F-18. It was the logical and obvious choice and everyone thought was a done deal until the change in the ministry of defense for a corrupt civilian.