Official: US says ex-Venezuela oil czar took bribes
BOGOTA — U.S. prosecutors say Venezuela’s former oil czar received bribes as part of a major graft scheme that allegedly took place in the OPEC nation’s oil industry, an American official familiar with the probe said.
Rafael Ramirez, who was one of Venezuela’s most powerful officials until he quit as the country’s U.N. ambassador in December, was named as a bribe recipient although he was not charged in an indictment against five other former senior officials that was partially unsealed Monday.
In the indictment, prosecutors in Houston allege two of the charged individuals told businessmen that proceeds from bribes they made in exchange for quick payments and contracts with Venezuela’s state-run oil giant PDVSA would be shared with a senior Venezuelan official, identified in the unsealed portion as “Official B.”
That unidentified Venezuelan politician is Ramirez, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. The official agreed to talk about the case only on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to discuss the matter.