Venezuela cleans up: more than 40 arrests for corruption in state-owned companies

More than 40 suspects have now been arrested in Venezuela for corruption at the state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and other state-owned companies. As Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced on Saturday, the 42 suspects are linked to several corruption cases.

Recently, the head of the state-owned company Corporación Venezolana Guayana (CVG), Pedro Maldonado, and employees of the metal company Siderúrgica del Orinoco (Sidor) were arrested.

The arrests began in mid-March. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the suspects are suspected of embezzlement of government funds, money laundering and high treason, among other things. Those arrested include deputy head of the PDVSA António José Pérez Suarez and former MP Hugbel Roa.

A lot of money embezzled

According to sources in the judiciary, Maldonado, the former governor of Venezuela’s central bank, was involved in a corruption network led by Roa. Roa was for many years an influential politician in President Nicolás Maduro’s ruling United Socialist Party.

In the course of the investigation, the powerful oil minister Tareck El Aissami had already resigned because some of the suspects were among his close associates. El Aissami, who also belongs to the Socialists, has already served as Vice President, Interior Minister and Industry Minister.

The Public Prosecution Service has not yet disclosed how much money the suspects have embezzled. The Venezuelan media are talking about three billion dollars (2.79 billion euros). Member of Parliament Hermann Escarrá, who belongs to the government camp, even spoke of 23 billion dollars. (sda/afp)