US judge in Texas dismisses charges against Swiss banker allegedly tied to Venezuela bribery scheme

By JOSHUA GOODMAN
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in Houston has dismissed criminal charges against a Swiss banker accused of helping stash millions in bribes paid to senior Venezuelan oil officials. Judge Kenneth Hoyt ruled Wednesday that there had been long delays in bringing the case to trial. He ruled that the unjustified trial delays violated Paulo Murta’s constitutional right to a speedy trial within 70 days of being charged. Murta was indicted in 2019 on money laundering charges as part of a sprawling multi-year investigation into corruption at Venezuela’s state-run oil compnay known as PDVSA.