The United States offers a reward for information on the alleged partner of Alex Saab

0

First Amendment:

The administration of President Joe Biden has announced a reward of $10 million for any information that reveals the whereabouts of Alvaro Pulido, the alleged collaborator of the Colombian businessman and extradited to the United States, accused of money laundering as part of a bribery network linked to the Venezuelan CLAP food program.

The United States Department of State has set a $10 million reward for information relating to the charges brought by the Justice Department against “(Alvaro) Pulido et al., regarding money laundering in connection with an offshore bribery scheme.”

On Thursday, October 21, a grand jury in the southern district of Florida indicted three Colombians—including Álvaro Pulido Vargas—and two Venezuelans for their alleged participation in a multibillion-dollar laundering network linked to the program. and the Production Commission (CLAP) of the Government of Venezuela.

It is estimated that the five defendants and their alleged collaborators received approximately $1.6 billion from the Venezuelan state and transferred approximately 180 million through or to the United States.

The statement from the attorney general’s office indicates that the five defendants were connected to money from contracts obtained through bribes, which were paid to officials in the Venezuelan government to provide food and medicine in the state-owned and controlled program.

Alvaro Pulido is additionally accused of conspiring with Colombian businessman Alex Saab and laundering his profits into bank accounts in other countries, including the United States, during 2015 and at least until 2020. According to the complaint, the prices of the products they offered for profit, in exchange for Currency exchange control system.

According to an investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office, Saab and Pulido Vargas transferred from Venezuela, through the United States, approximately $350 million to accounts they own or control in other countries.

He was extradited to the United States for money laundering

Saab was extradited by the US Department of Justice from Cape Verde. However, he has been detained in the African country since June 12, 2020, when his technical plane stopped at Amilcar Cabral International Airport on the island of Sal, on charges of money laundering.

Alex Saab, 49, who holds dual Colombian and Venezuelan citizenship, faces seven counts of money laundering and one of conspiracy, which involve violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), according to the Department of Justice.

The businessman’s name came to light when former Venezuelan prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz accused him in 2017 of being an alleged collaborator of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

With EFE and local media

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *