A former Venezuelan deputy minister says that a police network extorted him and that the former DAO Pino asked him for data from Podemos

He assures that the defendants came to ask him for 1.4 million euros to protect him

MADRID, 30 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The former Vice Minister of Electrical Development of Venezuela Javier Alvarado Ochoa has assured this Friday before the Court of Instruction Number 29 of Madrid that he was extorted by an alleged police network and has also indicated that the former Deputy Director of Operations (DAO) of the Police Eugenio Pino – who is not listed as being investigated in the case – asked him for information regarding Podemos in two meetings in which other Corps agents were present.

Legal sources present at the interrogation have assured Europa Press that Alvarado Ochoa has ratified the statement he gave at the police headquarters in December 2020 and has provided new details before Judge Cristina Díaz Márquez, who this Thursday has summoned him as a victim in the framework of the investigation that follows on the alleged extortion plot against former senior officials of the Government of Venezuela by national and municipal police.

In the police reports that appear in the investigation, and to which this agency had access, it is said that the now accused would have approached several Venezuelans who were allegedly related to money laundering activities "in order to request money in exchange for asserting the alleged ability to influence public bodies, such as the Executive Service for the Prevention of Money Laundering --Sepblac-- or the National Police itself", to "solve the problems" that would have to be investigated.

According to the sources consulted, Alvarado Ochoa has confirmed that, in 2015, he met an American lawyer -- investigated in this case -- through another former position of the Government of Venezuela. As he has specified, said lawyer offered him "protection" in the United States, but he denied said offer and came to Spain.

The former deputy minister has indicated to the judge that once on Spanish soil the same lawyer told him that he had a "team" in the country that was dedicated to handling problems he might have and that he would help him with any legal inconvenience that might arise, including notifying him of eventual alerts issued by Interpol.

According to the sources consulted, Alvarado Ochoa has reported in court that he chose to collaborate with the Spanish authorities and that, for this, he asked another of the investigated lawyers to contact the Police.

The former Venezuelan position has explained that as a result of this he managed to sit down with the former DAO Eugenio Pino. According to the legal sources present in the statement, he has assured that he had two meetings with him of at least four hours each, in which the police command told him: "What do you have about Podemos?"

According to the same sources, the former Venezuelan deputy minister has placed Pino outside the alleged network that allegedly extorted him, but has assured that part of the documentation he provided to the former DAO in those meetings was later reflected in the complaint filed by the Ilocad office in name of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) before the National High Court. Said complaint was filed against Alvarado Ochoa himself and twenty other people and is still being investigated in the Central Court of Instruction Number 3.

The sources present in the statement have also indicated that the former position of the Government of Hugo Chávez has reported that after these meetings with Pino he came to hold other meetings in which the former DAO did not participate. According to him, it was then that he was offered "protection" services in exchange for money.

According to the sources present in the statement, the former deputy minister has told the judge that the alleged police network asked him for up to 1.4 million euros to avoid, among other things, that he had problems with the Spanish Justice. He has insisted that those now being investigated threatened and extorted him. And he has stressed that he had no problems with the Spanish courts until after those agents contacted him.

The same sources have indicated that the Venezuelan ex-charge has ratified what he already said at the police headquarters, that, feeling extorted, he paid 40,000 euros to one of the policemen involved and said he did not want his services.

According to the Central Brigade for the Investigation of Money Laundering and Anti-Corruption in one of its reports collected by Europa Press, the network that is now being investigated in the Plaza de Castilla Courts is made up mainly of national and local police, lawyers and a former military officer; and would have received "millions of euros from Venezuelan citizens related to criminal activities."

According to evidence, the ways of receiving funds by those investigated "have been varied": from fictitious contracts and invoices, cash deliveries and the use of anonymous electronic means of payment. "They have had in common that these have been facilitated by the criminal organization and have served to transfer funds to Spain that had their origin in illicit activities," the agents said.

This Friday, the judge has heard defenses, accusations and alleged victims from 11:30 a.m. and until 3:00 p.m. Although he was scheduled to take statements from three allegedly injured parties, in the end he has only been able to question two allegedly injured parties - Alvarado Ochoa and financial adviser Dimas Antúnez. Carlos Aguilera, a former member of the Venezuelan Intelligence Service, has been unable to appear for medical reasons.

According to the sources consulted by this agency, the magistrate has agreed at the last minute to accept the appearance of Podemos as a popular accusation on bail of 6,000 euros. Thus, the legal team of the 'purple' formation has managed to be present in the statements and be part of the procedure after appealing the initial decision of the judge to deny them the accusation.

Now, the magistrate has yet to take statements from the 13 people who appear as accused for being alleged members of the police network that is being investigated for alleged crimes of fraud and/or extortion. Everyone will have to testify on October 6. The 30 companies that are listed as being investigated still do not have a set date.