SBF Int’l found guilty of illegally importing fuel, fined $300,000

Magistrate Rhondell Weever found SBF International Incorporated, whose president is Dorwain Bess, guilty of illegally importing fuel, the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) announced in a statement on Friday.
The company was charged back in 2021 with the offence of conducting the business of a wholesaler of petroleum and petroleum products without authority to do so under a wholesale and/or importing wholesale licence contrary to Regulation 4 (1) (c) Petroleum and Petroleum Products Regulations 2014.

The company was also fined $300,000 and was given up to June 30 to pay the fine, failing which one of its directors will be imprisoned for a term of three months. The Magistrate handed down her decision on Thursday.
The lead prosecutor for the GEA was Attorney-at-Law Arudranauth Gossai, while SBF International Inc was represented by Neil Boston, SC, and Attorney-at-Law Dawn Holder.
Following the Magistrate’s ruling, the company’s lawyers begged for leniency.
The GEA charged SBF International Inc for selling diesel and gasoline to Guyana Industrial Minerals Inc (GINMIN) between September 28, 2020, and December 27, 2020, after the company’s fuel 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 Senior Magistrate Leron Daly issuing an arrest warrant for Bess. Subsequently, on July 8, 2021, Bess and his counsel appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
According to the GEA, 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 in Georgetown.
“Notwithstanding the cancellation of the licence, Dorwain Bess continued his operation and was also charged with the offence of importing approximately 155,000 litres of diesel without a licence between November 3rd and 4th, 2020 aboard the vessel MV Layel,” the GEA noted.
That matter is ongoing before the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts.
Following the cancellation of the company’s licence and the institution of charges, Bess, a US citizen, had contended that he was being victimised and had in fact reached out to the US Embassy in Georgetown for assistance.
Meanwhile, the GEA has pointed out that it will continue to carry out its mandate of ensuring compliance with the Guyana Energy Agency Act 1997 as amended and the Petroleum and Petroleum Regulations 2014. (G1)