Venezuelan Attorney Tarek Saab confirmed on Tuesday the arrest of former Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami (pictured), involved in a corruption scheme in the Petroleum of Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) company.
During a press briefing, Saab said that "at least five witnesses who have been sequentially interviewed by [their] prosecutors" gave enough information that demonstrated that El Aissami, the former Economy Minister Simon Zerpa who also served as director of the National Development Fund (FONDEN) participated in the corruption case in which at least $21 billion disappeared. El Aissami served in the oil office from 2020 to 2023.
The charges for both will be published "in the next few hours," the prosecutor added, stressing the success"in having the direct involvement unveiled and the consequent arrest."
