In addition to the revelations about co-conspirators Francisco Convit and Matthias Krull who devised a scheme involving $1.2 billion in embezzled and laundered PDVSA funds, this site can introduce new elements directly pointing to Rafael Ramírez. The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) claims in its case against Convit that this scheme began in December 2014. However, the blueprint had already been tested in 2012 with a nearly identical operation amounting to $4.1 billion, featuring some of the same key players. An investigation in Andorra has revealed that Rafael Ramírez led a global corruption network through his brothers, cousins, close associates at PDVSA, and trusted family collaborators. The case against Convit serves as just a piece of evidence.
Newly revealed information shows that Banca Zarattini was utilized in the Convit scheme by Pedro Binaggia. Zarattini was the bank through which Wilmer Ruperti paid Ramírez a bribe of $62.4 million (see Intercontinental View Inc). Jesús Luongo, Ramírez’s cousin and Vice President of Trade and Supply at PDVSA, approved disbursements from PDVSA amounting to $260 million to Ruperti in December 2014, allowing Ruperti to pay Ramírez the $62.4 million bribe.
Sources familiar with Ramírez’s dealings describe Álvaro Ledo Nass, former legal advisor to PDVSA and identified as Conspirator #1 by the Department of Justice, as a representative for Baldo Sanso. Baldo Sanso is Ramírez’s brother-in-law and once acted as an unofficial charge d’affaires for Ramírez.
Information contained in the email servers of Derwick Associates indicates that fugitive Convit, Alejandro Betancourt (Conspirator #2), and Orlando Alvarado (Conspirator #4) communicated with Álvaro Ledo Nass (Conspirator #1), Víctor Eduardo Aular Blanco (legal advisor to PDVSA and Venezuelan attorney, Official #1), and critically with Rafael Ramírez during the period from 2009 to 2015.