Former CEO of PDVSA Rafael Ramírez (left) and his brother, Fidel Ramírez (right).
The brother of former Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramírez, Fidel Ramírez, was arrested again as part of an investigation into a corruption scandal involving a bank in Andorra. This was reported by Attorney General Tarek William Saab.
The arrest was carried out last Wednesday, September 14, after Ramírez failed to present himself in court as part of an alternative measure of freedom that obliged him to periodically appear before a court.
During an interview, Saab stated that Rafael Ramírez’s brother did not show up in court as required by the terms of his bail.
Fidel Ramírez was first arrested in 2018 for his alleged participation in a scheme that diverted some $2 billion from Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) to bank accounts in Andorra.
However, Rafael Ramírez’s brother had his release measure revoked after a hearing on September 14 and is now being held by Venezuelan law enforcement agencies.
Fidel Ramírez is accused of amassing €250,000 in a Banca Privada d’Andorra, or BPA, account from allegedly fraudulent medical services that he billed to PDVSA through two companies under the names of other individuals.
Additionally, he is accused of the alleged crimes of money laundering and criminal association.
The Complaint Against Rafael Ramírez Should be Preceded by a Mea Culpa
At that time, the Public Ministry (MP) revealed that Fidel Ramírez had “enormous and unjustified sums of money in the Private Bank of Andorra (BPA)” that came from a scheme of organized crime and money laundering.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the money received in these accounts would amount to about €326,000. For this reason, the Andorran financial authority took control of the bank in 2015 after a complaint from the United States for alleged malpractice.
The new arrest of Rafael Ramírez’s brother arises in the midst of investigations currently being carried out by the MP for the alleged corruption that took place in PDVSA while the former minister was in office.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
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