Local fuel company, SBF International Inc was last week fined $300,000 by the court for its wholesale selling of petroleum and petroleum products without having the requisite licences back in 2020 and it has until June 30th to pay or have one of its directors imprisoned for three months.
The Guyana Energy Agency, in a press release, stated that on May 11, 2023 Magistrate Rondel Weever found SBF International Inc. guilty of the offence of conducting the business of a wholesaler of petroleum and petroleum products without authority to do so under a wholesale or and importing wholesale licence contrary to Regulation 4 (1) (c) Petroleum and Petroleum Products Regulations 2014.
According to the GEA’s release, the company was fined $300,000 and given up to June 30, 2023 to pay the fine or failing which, one of its Directors will be imprisoned for a term of 3 months.
“The Guyana Energy Agency charged SBF Inter-national Inc. for selling diesel and gasoline to Guyana Industrial Minerals Inc. (GINMIN) between the period September 28, 2020 and December 27, 2020 after the company’s licence was cancelled on September 14, 2020. Initial attempts to serve the Summons on the Directors of the company Dorwain Bess and Dannel Munroe were futile since they appeared to be evading service. This resulted in Magistrate Her Worship Leron Daly issuing an Arrest Warrant for Dorwain Bess,” the GEA said in its statement.
“Subsequently, on July 8, 2021 Dorwain Bess and his Counsel appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to have the arrest warrant recalled. Dorwain Bess thereafter caused several articles to be published against the GEA in the Kaieteur News and he along with a small contingent mounted several protests in front of the GEA’s Headquarters. Notwithstanding the cancellation of the licence, Dorwain Bess continued his operation and was also charged with the offence of importing approximately 155,000 litres diesel without a licence between November 3rd and 4th, 2020 aboard the vessel MV Layel. That matter is before the Diamond/ Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court,” the statement added.
