Europol Investigates Jesús Vergara, Jorge Dellan, Jorge and Roberto Añez, and Pedro Ferrer for Money Laundering Linked to the Venezuelan Corporation of Guayana, Pdvsa, and Sunacrip.
Written by | Primer Informe
The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) is investigating Venezuelan businessman Jesús Alfredo Vergara Betancourt for his connections to the Venezuelan Corporation of Guayana, which has recently been embroiled in corruption scandals.
According to sources from AlbertoNews, Vergara Betancourt, director of the maritime agency Desarrollos 1405 C.A., is under investigation along with Jorge and Roberto Añez of Avior Airlines and Jorge Dellan, cousin of the former president of the Industrial Bank of Venezuela (BIV), Leonardo González Dellan, who is sanctioned by the United States.
The investigations conducted by Europol target potential crimes linked to Petróleos de Venezuela and the National Superintendency of Cryptoassets of Venezuela (Sunacrip).
It is important to note that Sunacrip was responsible for managing operations with the Petro cryptocurrency, which was maintained by Nicolás Maduro’s regime. Now, this cryptocurrency is reportedly on the verge of being phased out, following its role in the latest corruption scheme involving Pdvsa.
A report from Bloomberg Línea cites several sources close to Sunacrip who confirm the imminent end of this failed experiment by the Caracas dictatorship. The sources indicated to the economic media that the decision relates to an internal intervention of Sunacrip, a key entity in developing the corruption plot within Pdvsa.
ALSO READ: Corruption in Pdvsa Accelerates the End of Maduro’s Crypto Experiment
The Currency of Corruption
Just days after the latest corruption scandal within Pdvsa erupted, the blockchain of the Petro experienced an interruption that affected crypto-financial transactions and services for users, who reported a lack of information and transparency from Sunacrip.
Additionally, the value of the Petro plummeted by over 45% in the secondary market, despite remaining fixed at $60 per unit on the regime’s official portal.
According to the investigations conducted thus far by the Venezuelan prosecutor’s office, a substantial portion of payments for the sale of Venezuelan crude was made through cryptocurrencies. The initial estimate for these transactions ranged between $3 billion and $5 billion, but the current actual amount could be three to four times higher.
The so-called “Pdvsa-crypto” scandal featured massive transactions with virtual currencies, primarily to evade U.S. sanctions and continue the trade of the discredited Venezuelan crude.
In addition to dozens of crypto accounts, those implicated in the scheme moved millions in payments and bribes via various channels, including shell companies and banks in Switzerland, Russia, and the Middle East, along with suitcases filled with cash, according to various sources consulted by Primer Informe.
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