Cuba has just sentenced 203 civil servants to between 2 and 22 years in prison for embezzlement, bribery, falsification of documents, theft and damage to documents, seals or public property.
According to the daily Granma, the mouthpiece of the Cuban Communist Party, the convicted were members of several state-owned companies in the food, culinary and tobacco industries in the capital Havana and had “caused millions of dollars in losses” to the country through various tricks.
Along with the prison sentences, authorities have imposed 383 disciplinary measures, 95 percent of which were dismissals, according to Granma. Cuban state media has recently been emphasizing a tough stance against crime and corruption. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has also called on prosecutors to show zero tolerance for corruption in “its various forms and levels,” because it “undermines the moral foundations of society.”
According to Vice President of the Council of State and State Auditor General of Cuba Gladys Bejarano, Cuba has ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption and is committed to preventing and combating corruption. Ms. Bejarano emphasized that it is impossible to aspire to build a better society, a better country or to form good people if anti-corruption measures are not effectively applied. She affirmed that Cuba is determined to force officials and managers to be role models, and their behavior must contribute positively to the formation of the society that Cuba builds and desires for future generations.
According to the head of the Cuban audit sector, there are cases of corruption that go beyond national borders. That is why Cuba pays special attention to international cooperation and concludes bilateral agreements on mutual assistance, as well as with relevant international organizations. Therefore, the United Nations Convention against Corruption is the only universal legally binding instrument to combat this type of crime and is recognized by most UN member states.
KHANH MINH
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