15-year prison sentence for GTA businessman held in Cuba is ‘outrageous’: MP
Posted September 28, 2014 2:56 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A Toronto-area MP says a local businessman sentenced in Cuba to 15 years in prison should be sent back to Canada.
Peter Kent says Cy Tokmakjian could be expelled from the Caribbean country or transferred to a Canadian facility instead of serving out his sentence there.
Tokmakjian, 74, was convicted Friday on corruption-related charges that Cuban officials call part of a widespread campaign against graft.
The owner of the Ontario-based automotive company Tokmakjian Group was held for more than two years before being tried in June.
Kent, whose Thornhill riding includes the company’s headquarters, says the sentence is “outrageous,” but not entirely unexpected.
He says Tokmakjian’s case is “a very strong reminder that international investors should beware” when dealing with Cuba.
Foreign Affairs says consular services are being provided and officials are in contact with authorities in Havana.
The company issued a statement earlier this year saying Tokmakjian did nothing wrong and suggested he didn’t get a fair trial.
