CUBA HANDS DOWN 15-YEAR SENTENCE TO CANADIAN EXECUTIVE (STA BREAKING NEWS and ARCHIVES)

by STANews , Monday, September 29, 2014, 12:47

A court in Cuba has sentenced the president of a Canadian transport company to 15 years in jail for bribery.

Cy Tokmakjian, 74, was detained in Cuba in 2011 as part an anti-corruption operation. He denies the charges.

The Tokmakjian Group said the court had seized its assets in Cuba, worth about $100m (£62m).

The company said the ruling was a worrying development for potential investors on the Communist-run island.

"Lack of due process doesn't begin to describe the travesty of justice that is being suffered by foreign businessmen in Cuba," the company said in a statement.

Two other executives from the Tokmakjian Group - fellow Canadian citizens Claudio Vetere and Marco Puche - were sentenced to eight and 12 years in prison.

The Ontario-based company sold transportation, mining and construction equipment to Cuba for more than 20 years.

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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-29396880