15 May 2013. Canadian trading firm Tri-Star Caribbean was shut down in July 2011 and its chief executive Sarkis Yacoubian was arrested and is still in 
custody. In September 2011, Canada-based Tokmakjian Group, was also shut down and its head, Cy Tokmakjian, taken into custody. The Havana offices of the British investment and trading firm Coral Capital Group Ltd was closed in October 2011 and its chief executive Amado Fakhre, a Lebanese-born British citizen was taken into custody.
These executives have been alleged to have paid bribes to Cuban officials to get licences and to facilitate their business interests in Cuba.
These closing down and arrests indicate that Cuba has mounted a global crackdown on corruption as a part of the reform progress under the rule of President Raul Castro who took over from Fidel Castro.
All of these men are kept in La Condesa prison which is exclusively set aside for foreigners. A number of foreigners and Cubans who worked for these companies are free but they cannot leave the country as they will have to give evidence in the forthcoming trial.
Several Cuban state purchasers and officials, including deputy ministers, have been arrested and convicted in the investigation into the Cuban imports business.
