The official appropriated 24 beverage and food products, in addition to 6,000 liters of kerosene
14ymedio, Madrid, 27 September 2024 –The newspaper Escambray has again reported a conviction for embezzlement of a low-ranking official. The administrator of the La Riviera ration store in Sancti Spíritus was sentenced to 10 years in prison for appropriating of 24 products and 6,000 liters of kerosene worth more than 200,000 pesos.
The convicted, about whom only his age is known (35 years old), was found with rice from the rationed family basket, raw and processed sugar, black beans, salt, powdered milk, toiletries and the aforementioned fuel. In addition, he appropriated drinks with and without alcohol, including beer and soft drinks, and cigarettes from the rationed market.
The total amount of what was stolen is 174,882 pesos, corresponding to the wholesale price. However, for the retail price, the loss is 200,127 pesos, which must be repaid to the Municipal Trade Company of Sancti Spíritus as part of the sentence.
The total amount of what was stolen is 174,882 pesos, corresponding to the wholesale price. However, for the retail price the loss is 200,127 pesos
The case, tried in the First Criminal Chamber of the Popular Provincial Court of Sancti Spíritus, is dated 2023, which shows that it has taken a year to clarify the responsibilities, although there are no details about the dates on which the events occurred or how the administrator was able to store the products.
The sentence can be appealed, and although it is unlikely that he would win, there could be some variation in a sentence that is even greater than the one announced last May for Alexis Fuentes de La Cruz. Fuentes de La Cruz was the director of the provincial Municipal Trade Company between May 2022 and July 2023, and was sentenced to eight years in prison for a corruption case that included irregularities in hiring and document falsification to prevent the crime from being detected.
The case was, like this one, reported in the official newspaper of the province, and, although the penalty was less, the moral reproach was extensive. Escambray delved into the hypocrisy of the cadres and officials of the Regime who “have sunk up to their necks in the mud of corruption.” The report also made direct mention of the former Minister of Economy and Planning himself, Alejandro Gil Fernández, dismissed for “serious mistakes” committed under his mandate. Nothing has been known about him since he was allegedly arrested in March of this year.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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