By Dalia Acosta
HAVANA, Jun 23 1999 (IPS)

Corruption has come to Cuba despite government attempts to protect this socialist country from it, said the state-run newspaper “Granma” in taking the unusual step of revealing Cuban citizens’ accusations against government authorities.

In the story published this week, charges of “illegal transfer and use of government resources or embezzlement” came in first place on the government list with 439 accusations. Though not made public until now, the charges led to last year’s investigation of the governing Cuban Communist Party (PCC).

Another 247 charges of “economic irregularities and lack of administrative oversight” and 66 charges of “undue repossession of homes, price alterations and other labour problems,” were included in the government report.

Accusations also involved violations of labour policies, mistreatment of the public, non-compliance with disciplinary measures, and social conduct unbecoming to communist activists.

“In 77 percent of the cases concluded, those who had made the charge or accusation were completely or partially right,” stated the report published Wednesday in “Granma.”

The newspaper stated that the investigations led to “an important number of severe political and administrative sanctions” and to the initiation of criminal trials for robbery, misappropriation of resources, embezzlement and other crimes.

The Cuban citizens’ charges are a PCC priority, according to “Granma,” and reflect the public’s trust in the party organisation – though the charges also demonstrate the administration’s inefficiency in its relations with the public.

The data coincides with a wave a rumours about the replacement of public officials in several sectors of the Cuban economy – events that were kept out of the pages of the government- controlled press.

Alejandro Gonzalez, spokesman for Cuba’s ministry of foreign affairs, told the foreign press on Jun 10 that “concrete measures” had been taken against several officials of the state- run Rumbos tourist agency who “had committed some errors.”

Gonzalez stated that “the mistakes were not tied to corrupt activities” and that “the tourism industry is not suffering a traumatic or chaotic situation.” He also denied that the government had launched any type anti-corruption campaign.

The Rumbos case “exploded” as a result of the company’s ties with the Mexican tourist agency Cubamor, which brought 17,000 visitors to the island per year.

Cubamor had placed an advertisement on the Internet that included sex tours in Cuba among its tour options.

Sources from the travel sector say that the PCC’s Central Committee sent a letter to the state’s profit generating enterprises that called the Rumbos officials “weak-minded, with little character and poor judgement.”

The PCC missive exhorted employees of these state-owned entities to avoid anti-social conduct that jeopardises the economy. The letter also expressed concern about cases of corruption in strategic areas, said the sources.

Beyond the Rumbos case, the sources stated that high-level officials have been removed from their posts at Cubanacan – the island’s largest tourist agency, at the Horizontes hotel chain, and at the Publicitur company.

The “purge” also affects other entities operating with foreign currency, say the tourist industry sources, such as the bio-technological industry and military personnel who sell their vehicles for dollars.

Cuba tried to prevent corruption of its public officials with the 1996 approval of the Code of Ethics that was signed by leaders at all levels, beginning with president Fidel Castro.

Vice-president Carlos Lage declared at the time of the Code’s presentation that the country’s leadership must work to prevent corruption “at any price.”

The government plans to keep its distance from these events even as it continues to open the country to foreign capital and relate with a world where “vice and corruption are not exceptions,” said Lage.

According to the Code of Ethics, “Those who take on the role of state administration must not benefit, or provide benefits to others for reasons of family ties or friendship, or in exchange for favours.”

The 1997 reform of the Penal Code included sanctions of eight to 20 years in prison for those found guilty of basic crimes of administrative corruption, or “bribery.”

The legislation also includes punishment for influence peddling, embezzlement and illicit funds transfer as forms of non- compliance with one’s duty to preserve state property.

A new Penal Code reform approved early this year established the death penalty for public officials found guilty of participating in drug-trafficking activities.

One of the better known cases of corruption involving high- level officials was that of the former president of the Cuban Institute of Civil Aeronautics, Luis Orlando Dominguez. He was sentenced to prison in 1987 for maintaining “an excessively high standard of living.”

In mid-1989, the trial of a military group accused of corruption and drug-trafficking concluded with the death penalty for Gen. Arnaldo Ochoa, Col. Antonio de la Guardia, Capt. Jorge Martinez and Maj. Amado Padron.

In 1992, Carlos Aldana, head of the Communist Party’s Ideological Department, was dismissed and sent to work outside of Havana for improper use of his post for personal gain.

“Granma” reported this Wednesday that “there will be no impunity for those who violate the law, perverting their public role, and who no longer maintain the qualities of a Communist.”

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