A Miami Court on Tuesday convicted Carlos Pólit, former Ecuadorian Comptroller General, of a multimillion-dollar international bribery and money laundering scheme. 73-year-old Pólit was charged with taking bribes from the Ecuadorian subsidiary of the Spanish Albacora Group, a Brazilian constriction company Odebrecht S.A, and insurance firm Seguros Sucre, during his tenure in government between 2007 and 2017.

The jury found Polit guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering, concealment of money laundering, and engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence within 45 days [from finding guilty in court]. “As Comptroller General of Ecuador, Carlos was entrusted to protect the people of Ecuador from the misuse of public funds. Instead, he abused his position as a public official by soliciting and pocketing over USD 10 million in bribes and laundering illicit funds in Miami,” said Nicole Argentieri, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Pólit used the money to invest in real estate and to buy property in Florida, read a statement from the US Office of Public Affairs.

The two tuna-rich East African nations have entered into a pact to combat IUU fishing in their adjacent territorial waters. Seychelles and Comoros signed the agreement last Friday in Comoros ahead of the upcoming 28th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission meeting to be held in Bangkok from May 13 to 17.

Jean-François Ferrari, Seychelles Minister of Fisheries, said both nations have been working closely to come up with an agreement as several IUU fishing incidents have taken place in Seychelles’ waters. He asserted the need for a framework to deal with the issue so it can be prevented in the future. Ferrari explained: “I am happy that we signed this agreement with Comoros this morning, as it formalizes our relationship and ensures that everything is done the right way, in the interest of both countries,” reported Seychelles news sites.

Brazilian canned tuna brand Gomes da Costa has introduced two new flavors – tuna in pieces with ginger sauce (170g) and tuna filet with basil pesto (125g) – to its premium line of products. The brand, which belongs to Nauterra (formerly known as Grupo Calvo), is celebrating its 70th anniversary in the fishing business in 2024. A limited edition of the cans has already been placed on Brazilian retail shelves.

Tuna with ginger sauce has a creamy texture and a mild flavor, whereas, the tuna filet with basil pesto is inspired by Italian recipes. A top Nauterra executive said that the company has developed a line of products to celebrate the milestone and “give back to customers who are a fundamental part of this story,” reported business news sites. The brand also launched a sardine with moqueca sauce item. Gomes de Costa was founded in 1954 and taken over by Grupo Calvo in 2004. At the time, Grupo Calvo was among the top five canning companies in the world.