Venezuelan court orders former Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami detained

An anti-terrorism court Venezuela ordered this Thursday to keep the former Minister of Petroleum detained Tareck El Aissamiwho was arrested on Tuesday for his alleged participation in a corruption scheme in the oil sector and subsequently accused by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of five crimes, including treason and money laundering.

Through X, the attorney general, Tarek William Saabreported that El Aissami, as well as the former Minister of Economy and Finance Simon Zerpa and the businessman Samarca Lopezwas presented to Second Terrorism Control Courtwho agreed “the precautionary measure”against the three subjects.

LOOK HERE: Who is Tareck El Aissami, Maduro’s once-powerful minister who fell from grace in Venezuela?

The prosecutor indicated that they were accused of the crimes of “treason, appropriation or diversion of public assets, ostentation or valorization, money laundering and association to commit a crime”.

According to investigations, the three men carried out an economic conspiracy “simultaneously with corruption“Explained Saab, who highlighted that the objective of this plan was the implosion of the Venezuelan economy.”through the destruction of the national currency and the astronomical rise of the parallel dollar”.

In this way, he continued, they sought “produce economic and financial chaos and social violence”.

The owner of public ministry (MP, Public Ministry) explained this Tuesday that these arrests are part of the second phase of an anti-corruption operation – announced in March 2023 – related to a plot in the state Venezuelan oil (Pdvsa), for which more than fifty people were arrested.

MORE INFORMATION: The Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office announces the arrest of Tareck El Aissami, the powerful former Minister of Oil

The whereabouts of El Aissami, former president of PDVSAhe was unknown since then, when he resigned from his position to – as he said at the time – collaborate with the investigations.

In X, videos circulated showing Tarek El AissamiZerpa and López wore the same blue uniform and were watched by security agents as they headed to court.

These actions occur when the country is immersed in an electoral environment, facing the presidential elections on July 28, in which the head of state, Nicolás Maduro-who promoted this purge in his government- will seek a second re-election.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.