> But now I'm wondering if, from a utilitarian perspective, the world would have been better with him in jail.
No - he corrupted politicians. That is how it works in most African countries - give a lot of money to politicians in exchange for protection from any legal problems.
This regularly happens in the country to its south and in Zimbabwe (e.g. John Bredenkamp).
If the system is already broken, and someone taking advantage of it is making things better, I say let him take advantage of it.
Do you really believe that he would "make things better"? He probably greased a lot of palms to ensure that he is not extradited to the US.
He will continue greasing palms (with stolen money) and start again with his corruption. There are numerous examples of this being the case.
A good example is Jurgen Harksen. He was on the run from German authorities and decided to hid in South Africa. He quickly started on the corruption bandwagon again and formed close "relationships" with various politicians.
A leopard does not magically change its spots.
"In 2006, a federal jury indicted Jacob (Kobi) Alexander, an Israeli-American business wunderkind, on charges of wire and securities fraud. Mr. Alexander and his family flew to Namibia, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.
The fugitive more or less tried to buy Namibia. He sponsored scholarships and built low-income solar-powered buildings, and he lived in a spectacular home in Windhoek. "
But now I'm wondering if, from a utilitarian perspective, the world would have been better with him in jail. It sounds like he improved living conditions in Namibia.