Caracas, 07 September 2017.

Eight managers of the western section of Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) were detained as part of the investigations into the Petrozamora joint venture, which is being carried out by the Attorney General, Tarek William Saab.

He stated that investigation into this case started a week ago, once the directive of the state oil company requested the investigation before the courts.

The 44^th and 77^th prosecutors of the state of Zulia are participating in the search; however, the representative of Citizen Power said that the trial will take place in Caracas, and national prosecutors will be at the helm.

He indicated that in this first phase of the investigation, five crimes were identified; among them were illicit trafficking of strategic material, association to commit crime, fraudulent embezzlement, and use of and damage to the oil industry with criminal intent, among others.

He said that these criminal practices are indicative of a plan to sabotage the oil industry, thus affecting assets, and reiterated the possible existence of an extortion network that illegally recovers the repayment of previously affected services.

“These regrettable acts of corruption, detected in Petrozamora, are not an isolated incident; it is part of this Public Ministry’s goal to continue to combat corruption in the oil industry in a clear and forceful way,” said Saab.

Among those arrested are Gustavo Malavé, executive director of Western Production, Juan Carrillo, sub-director of Western Production, Héctor Roque, manager of Integral Plant Operations, César Valera, Western Production Business Manager, Adolfo Torres, general manager of SI West, Henri Sánchez, director of SI Production for the Eastern Coast of the Lake, José Marín, regional manager of SI West, Juan Barreto Ramos, general manager of Western Production, among others.

He also stated that an arrest warrant had been issued for Bernardo Atencio, the former deputy director of Western Production, who is a fugitive.

He announced that, as an alternative measure, he requested the preventive seizure of all furniture and real estate as well as freezing the accounts of all involved.

Likewise, he denounced the illegal extraction and marketing of hydrocarbons to Caribbean countries through companies being investigated, as well as the purchase of additives to process oil through a company linked to those involved in the case.

He emphasized that he has the full support of the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, as well as that of the Supreme Court of Justice and other judicial bodies for this research process.

Source: http://vtv.gob.ve/fiscal-general-presento-balance-de-investigaciones-en-caso-petrozamora/