A Cuban who worked as a warehouse manager in Sancti Spíritus for ten months was sentenced to ten years in prison. The court found him guilty of embezzling products worth more than 200,000 pesos.
The events occurred in the La Riviera winery, belonging to the South Base Business Unit of the Sancti Spíritus Municipal Commerce Company. According to the trial, the accused appropriated several essential products, including foods from the regulated quota, such as rice, sugar and beans. In addition, he stole powdered milk, kerosene and toiletries. He also stole alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, products intended for sale to the population.
The initial economic impact was 174,882 pesos at cost prices. However, when calculating the sale prices, the loss amounted to more than 200,000 pesos. This situation harmed the winery’s customers, who did not receive the products assigned to the regulated family basket for several months. As a solution, the Wholesale Food Company replaced the missing products to guarantee sales to affected consumers.
The Sancti Spíritus court sentenced him to ten years in prison for the crime of embezzlement. In addition to the prison sentence, the accused must pay financial compensation for the damage caused, which amounts to more than 200,000 pesos.
This case is part of a broader problem of corruption and theft in Cuban wineries. In the province of Sancti Spíritus, between January and August 2023, authorities reported ten robberies with force and six cases of corruption. The economic crisis and shortages in the country have aggravated these crimes in the distribution networks of food and basic products.
The accused can appeal the sentence to the Supreme People’s Court, which will make a final decision.
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