BUENOS AIRES (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st July, 2020) The Venezuelan authorities request Italy to authorize extradition of Rafael Ramirez, former president of Venezuelan state-owned energy company PDVSA, accused of financial crimes and embezzlement, The country's Supreme Tribunal of Justice said on Friday.
"The cassation criminal chamber of the Supreme Tribunal declared the validity of the current request for the extradition of Venezuelan citizen Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno from Italy to be involved in criminal proceedings in Venezuela for alleged crimes such as embezzlement of funds, evasion of tendering procedure," the court said in a statement.
In December 2017, the Venezuelan Prosecutor General's office launched a criminal investigation into Ramirez and his cousin Diego Salazar in connection with a corruption case.
Apart from being PDVSA president between 2004 and 2014, Ramirez also served as Venezuelan energy minister between 2002 to 2014 and as Venezuelan foreign minister in 2014. From 2014 to 2017, he was Venezuela's permanent representative to the United Nations.
