Fanjul Family Responds To Libertad Act Lawsuit-Plaintiff "conduct is malicious and aimed only at tarnishing the reputation of ASR Group and the Fanjul family."
/Irony? The Plaintiff has a shipping document. The Defendant has a shipping document which it maintains contradicts the Plaintiff's shipping document. The government of the Republic of Cuba could provide shipping documents to the Plaintiff and Defendant. The irony- could the government of the Republic of Cuba provide to evidence to exonerate a defendant in a Libertad Act Title III lawsuit- where the defendant is a company owned by the Cuban descendants of those from whom the government of the Republic of Cuba expropriated assets without compensation.
On 2 May 2021, Summit, New Jersey-based Francisco Sugar Company (OTCPK: FRAZ), the 9th largest Certified Claimant (US$53,389,438.37), filed a Libertad Act Title III lawsuit against West Palm Beach, Florida-based ASR Group International, Inc. (2019 revenues approximately US$500 million) relating to a shipment of sugar from the Republic of Cuba to the United Kingdom. ASR Group International is a part of the commercial holdings of the Fanjul brothers (estimated net worth US$8.2 billion)- Alfonso "Alfy" Fanjul Jr., José "Pepe" Fanjul, Alexander Fanjul, and Andres Fanjul.
The Trump Administration (2021-2021) on 2 May 2019 made operational Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996 (known as “Libertad Act”). Title III authorizes lawsuits in United States District Courts against companies and individuals who are using a certified claim or non-certified claim where the owner of the certified claim or non-certified claim has not received compensation from the Republic of Cuba or from a third-party who is using (“trafficking”) the asset.
Statement in English from Alfonso Fanjul and Jose “Pepe” Fanjul:
A lawsuit making outrageous claims that ASR Group International, Inc., a company affiliated with the Fanjul family, purchased sugar from Cuba is absolutely false. We are shocked that the plaintiffs and their attorneys filed these false claims given that publicly available records clearly show the sugar shipment at issue in the claim was purchased by and delivered to another company not affiliated in any way with ASR or the Fanjul family. Had the lawyers conducted the slightest diligence, as required by ethical and federal court rules, they would have known their allegation that ASR Group purchased sugar from Cuba was false. The Fanjul family, like many Cuban Americans, lost everything as a result of the Castro regime. To falsely accuse the Fanjuls or any of their affiliated companies of violating the embargo with Cuba is offensive, even more so coming from fellow Cubans.
We provided the lawyers with public records demonstrating that ASR Group did not make the purchase of Cuban sugar they cite a week ago, and they have not dismissed the complaint leading us to believe that their conduct is malicious and aimed only at tarnishing the reputation of ASR Group and the Fanjul family.
Statement in Spanish from Alfonso Fanjul and Jose “Pepe” Fanjul:
Una demanda que hace afirmaciones indignantes de que ASR Group International, Inc., una empresa afiliada a la familia Fanjul, compró azúcar de Cuba es absolutamente falsa. Nos sorprende que los demandantes y sus abogados hayan presentado estos reclamos falsos dado que los registros públicos disponibles muestran claramente que el envío de azúcar en cuestión en el reclamo fue comprado y entregado a otra compañía que no está afiliada de ninguna manera con ASR o la familia Fanjul. Si los abogados hubieran realizado la más mínima diligencia, como lo requieren las reglas éticas y de los tribunales federales, habrían sabido que su alegación de que ASR Group compró azúcar de Cuba era falsa. La familia Fanjul, como muchos cubanoamericanos, lo perdió todo como resultado del régimen de Castro. Acusar falsamente a los Fanjul o cualquiera de sus empresas afiliadas de violar el embargo con Cuba es ofensivo, más aun viniendo de compatriotas cubanos.
Hace una semana proporcionamos registros públicos a los abogados que demuestran que ASR Group no realizó la compra del azúcar cubano que citan, y no han desestimado la denuncia llevándonos a creer que su conducta es maliciosa y tiene como único objetivo empañar la reputación de ASR Group y de la familia Fanjul.
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