MEXICO CITY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2020) The former head of Mexico's state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) company, Emilio Lozoya, was detained in Spain as a result of a joint operation conducted by local police and Interpol, Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero said on Wednesday in an interview with the national Radio Formula broadcaster.
"As a result of a long search with Interpol's arrest warrant and with the assistance of the Spanish police, we have just managed to detain him [Lozoya]," the attorney general said.
According to the interview of Lozoya's lawyer, Javier Coello, with the same broadcaster, the news on his client's detention is unexpected. The lawyer added that Lozoya had not contacted him so far.
"During the hearing of the extradition case, we will provide evidence that Mexican justice prevented us from defending ourselves. I need to talk with the client and go to Spain," Coello added.
Last May, a Federal court in Mexico issued a warrant for the arrest of Lozoya as he was allegedly involved in corruption activities while in charge of Pemex. According to investigators, Pemex bought a fertilizer plant from AHMSA in 2014 for about $500 million, while, according to the current authorities, its value did not exceed $50 million.
