Latest news with #VOSS
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Former Mass. State Police Sergeant convicted of extortion in CDL scheme
BOSTON (WWLP) – A former Massachusetts State Police Sergeant was convicted by a federal grand jury on Friday for giving out false passing scores to numerous Commercial Driver's License (CDL) applicants in a years-long conspiracy. Gary Cederquist, 59, of Stoughton, was charged in a 74-count indictment in January 2024, in addition to three other state troopers and two civilians. Charging documents stated that between February 2019 and January 2023, Cederquist arranged for him and his co-conspirators to give at least three dozen CDL applicants passing scores regardless of whether or not they had passed. Agawam man charged with possession of child pornography At this time, Cederquist was in charge of MSP's CDL Unit, which included former troopers 64-year-old Calvin Butner of Halifax, 64-year-old Perry Mendes of Wareham, and 56-year-old Joel Rogers of Bridgewater. These troopers conspired to give passing scores to some applicants in exchange for bribes, using the code word 'golden handshake' or 'golden' to identify those they would give special treatment to regardless of actual performance on the test. The CDL applicants included six MSP troopers who did not perform actual Class A skills tests but were falsely reported with passing grades. Cederquist was able to accomplish this offense by conspiring with 44-year-old Scott Camara of Rehoboth, who worked for a truck-driving school in Boston. The charging documents further stated that Cederquist gave false passing scores to applicants affiliated with a water company by accepting bribes of free inventory from the company. This was arranged through 48-year-old Eric Mathison of Boston, who worked for the water company. Mathison would deliver Cederquist's bribes to an office trailer at the CDL test site in Stoughton. These bribes included cases of bottled Fiji, VOSS, and Essentia water, cases of Arizona Iced Tea, coffee and tea products, and boxes of Twizzlers and Swedish Fish. Cederquist also accepted much larger bribes from Mathison in exchange for his services with the water company, including a $750 granite post and mailbox, a new driveway costing over $10,000, and a snowblower costing nearly $2,000. Many of the applicants who were given false passing scores by Cederquist and his co-conspirators were described as poor drivers, using phrases such as 'brain dead,' 'no idea what he's doing,' and 'should have failed about 10 times already,' but were still granted CDLs in exchange for bribes. Cederquist was convicted of: 2 counts of Conspiracy to Commit Extortion 1 count of Extortion 6 counts of Honest Services Mail Fraud 3 counts of Conspiracy to Falsify Records 19 Counts of Falsification of Records 17 counts of False Statements Butner, Mendes, Camara, and Mathison have all pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. Cederquist is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Zawya
23-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Agthia Group shareholders approve 19.0% increase in full-year dividends at Annual General Meeting
Cairo: Agthia Group PJSC ('Agthia' or 'the Group'), one of the region's leading food and beverage companies, held its Annual General Meeting today. During the meeting, shareholders approved the Group's financial results for the year ending 31 December 2024, as well as all other recommendations by the Board of Directors, including the recommendation to distribute a cash dividend of 21.03 fils per share for the full year 2024, totaling AED 175 million a 19.0% increase compared to 2023. This includes a second-half dividend of 10.72 fils per share, in line with the Group's semi-annual dividend policy. An interim dividend of 10.31 fils per share (AED 85.7 million) was already paid for the first half of the year, underlining Agthia's commitment to delivering sustained shareholder value. Khalifa Sultan Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Agthia Group, said: 'The Board's recommendation and subsequent approval of a 19% year-on-year increase in full-year dividends reflects our ongoing commitment to creating sustainable, long-term value to our shareholders. Our progressive dividend policy remains a key pillar of shareholder engagement, underscoring our confidence in the Group's strategic direction and operational strength. As we continue to pursue growth across regional and international markets, we remain firmly focused on unlocking further value in the years to come to all our stakeholders.' Agthia Group recently reported a solid fiscal performance in the financial year 2024, with Group net revenue growing over 7.7% year-on-year to reach AED 4.9 billion. While Group EBITDA declined 1.5% year-on-year to AED 679 million, reflecting pressures in parts of the business, strong performances from Abu Auf and core UAE businesses helped partially offset the impact. Group's Reported Net Profit climbed 7.4% to AED 321.8 million, with earnings per share up 7.9%, reinforcing Agthia's resilience in navigating complex operating environment while delivering shareholder value and remaining well-positioned for sustainable growth and strategic expansion. About Agthia Agthia Group PJSC is a leading Abu Dhabi-based food and beverage company. Established in 2004, the Company is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and has the symbol 'AGTHIA'. Agthia Group PJSC is part of ADQ, one of the region's largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi's diversified economy. The Group's assets are located in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Turkey, and Jordan. Agthia offers a world-class portfolio of integrated businesses providing high-quality and trusted food and beverage products for consumers across the UAE, GCC, Turkey, the wider Middle East, South America and Asia. More than 12,000 employees are engaged in the manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of various products in categories such as Water & Food (Al Ain Water, Al Bayan, Alpin Natural Spring Water, VOSS, Al Ain Food & Trading Items); Snacking (Al Foah, Al Faysal Bakery & Sweets, BMB, Abu Auf); Protein and Frozen (Nabil Foods, Atyab, Al Ain Frozen Vegetables); and Agri-Business (Grand Mills, Agrivita).
Zawya
20-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Agthia Group consolidates additional 10% stake in Egyptian healthy snacks and Coffee Company Abu Auf Group
The consolidation strengthens Agthia's portfolio in high-growth categories, driving future value creation Agthia will continue to enhance operational synergies through ongoing integration with Abu Auf Group's innovative and entrepreneurial approach Abu Dhabi, UAE – Agthia Group PJSC ('Agthia' or 'the Group'), a leading regional food and beverage company, today announced the consolidation of an additional 10% stake in Abu Auf, a leading Egyptian healthy snacks and coffee brand, increasing its ownership to 80%. This strategic move aligns with Agthia's ambition to drive growth in high-potential categories and build on successful partnerships. The Auf family will continue to drive the business, ensuring continued agility, innovation, and operational excellence. Since acquiring an initial 60% stake in 2022 and an additional 10% in February 2024, Agthia and Abu Auf have achieved remarkable milestones together. Over the past two years, Abu Auf has opened more than 100 new stores (net) and increased EBITDA by over 70% in AED terms. In 2024 alone, Abu Auf's revenue grew by 33% year-on-year in AED despite EGP devaluation challenges, highlighting the resilience of the business and the strategic value of this partnership. Alan Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Agthia Group, said: 'Abu Auf embodies entrepreneurial spirit, operational excellence, and a relentless drive for growth. This additional investment reflects our belief in the company's potential and our commitment to bringing their innovative products to more consumers across Egypt and beyond.' Ahmed Auf, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Auf Group, added: 'Abu Auf is a proud Egyptian homegrown food and beverage brand that is not only about a diverse portfolio of premium coffee and quality food products, but also about agility and growth opportunities wherever they may be present. With Agthia's scale and expertise, Abu Auf has accelerated on the growth journey and remains firmly committed to continued innovation and expansion.' About Agthia Agthia Group PJSC is a leading Abu Dhabi-based food and beverage company. Established in 2004, the Company is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and has the symbol 'AGTHIA'. Agthia Group PJSC is part of ADQ, one of the region's largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi's diversified economy. The Group's assets are located in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Turkey, and Jordan. Agthia offers a world-class portfolio of integrated businesses providing high-quality and trusted food and beverage products for consumers across the UAE, GCC, Turkey, the wider Middle East, South America and Asia. More than 12,000 employees are engaged in the manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of various products in categories such as Water & Food (Al Ain Water, Al Bayan, Alpin Natural Spring Water, VOSS, Al Ain Food & Trading Items); Snacking (Al Foah, Al Faysal Bakery & Sweets, BMB, Abu Auf); Protein and Frozen (Nabil Foods, Atyab, Al Ain Frozen Vegetables); and Agri-Business (Grand Mills, Agrivita).
