Cuba seeks Mexican businessman in corruption probe

Posted on Monday, 11.18.13



Cuba seeks Mexican businessman in corruption probe

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS



HAVANA -- Cuban authorities have summoned a Mexican businessman in

connection with a corruption probe, echoing previous cases in which

foreigners were ultimately charged in absentia and had their local

businesses seized.



A note published in the government's Official Gazette says Alfredo Jaime

Capetillo has until Wednesday to present himself to the Interior

Ministry official in charge of the investigation.



The Gazette says the 57-year-old Mexican national is accused of bribery,

but does not give further details. It adds that if he fails to appear,

authorities will take additional, unspecified steps. In the past, that

has meant issuing arrest warrants and holding trials without the

defendants present.



Capetillo's whereabouts were not immediately clear, and phone calls to

the Panama offices of his company, International ABC Import-Export, were

not answered Monday.



President Raul Castro's government has sought to crack down on endemic

graft in recent years, leading to dozens of criminal convictions of

Cuban executives, government officials and foreign businesspeople.



Authorities have used the Gazette before to announce corruption

investigations targeting foreigners, as in the case of Chilean brothers

Max and Marcel Marambio.



The Marambios were later sentenced in absentia to long prison terms and

had their local business operations taken over by the state.



Source: "HAVANA: Cuba seeks Mexican businessman in corruption probe -

Business Wires - MiamiHerald.com" -

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/18/3762764/cuba-seeks-mexican-businessman.html#storylink=misearch