Congressman Pirela: Judges facilitate money laundering in Venezuela

The president of the Venezuelan parliament subcommittee on Antidrug, Counterterrorism and against Organized Crime, congressman José Luis Pirela, is investigating the corruption and organized crime network known as the Nania clan. This group, headed by Oswaldo Nania and three of his relatives, is also made up by judges and public officials who have facilitated money laundering in Venezuela. Lawyers, accountants, businessmen, senior government officials, judges and prosecutors have protected the Nania clan, and are being held accountable for their role in corruption events.

On June 13, 2018, these officials were asked to inform the subcommittee on information on the Nania clan. Since then, no intelligence has been received. Instead, every day the efforts to hide information on Oswaldo Nania’s illegalities grow. As of now, the hidden evidence favors Nania in the cases of “Odebrecht [construction bribes], Misión Vivienda [the government public housing], CADIVI [the government currency exchange body], corruption, money laundering, fraud, misappropriations, threats, extortion and even violence against women.” Despite having evidence of such participation and because there is no real justice in Venezuela, the subcommittee relies on other governments to put an end to these practices.

Pirela denounced six judges before the national and international public opinion for judicial corruption and information concealment related to an investigation on money laundering. The subcommittee he presides has alerted two U.S. department heads about the Nania clan. First, it informed Steven T. Mnuchin (Secretary of the Treasury) to investigate the money placement and use given to the North American financial system. Similarly, it notified Kirstjen M. Nielsen (Secretary of Homeland Security) to investigate the clan members and determine how they have obtained permanent and temporary migratory permits. This effort proves that the Nania clan is not exempt of international laws against the money laundering and terrorism financing.

Pirela and the subcommittee continue to work to defend the law, confiscate goods obtained from crimes against public property, and protect the victims of further judicial corruption.

Source “Diputado Pirela: Jueces facilitan la legitimación de capitales en Venezuela (Jan 7, 2019)