Venezuela government again accuses ex-oil czar of wrongdoing

By REGINA GARCIA CANO
Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The Venezuelan government is again accusing its former oil czar of wrongdoing while he oversaw the country’s most important industry. This time, the government alleges Rafael Ramírez was involved in a multibillion embezzlement operation during the early 2010s that took advantage of a dual currency exchange system. Venezuela Attorney General Tarek William Saab on Thursday told reporters Ramírez, who oversaw the OPEC nation’s oil industry for a decade as oil minister and president of PDVSA is wanted on various charges including embezzlement and racketeering. Saab’s announcement followed two days in which the country’s current oil minister, Tareck El Aissami, presented to reporters what he characterized as evidence of a nearly $5 billion fraud.