Rafael Reiter, a former PDVSA executive, is not going to testify in the case against Rafael Ramírez, according to the lawyers and they accuse US prosecutors of lying to the court by saying that he was going to do so
The lawyers of the former executive of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) Rafael Reiter denounced the US Attorney’s Office on Tuesday, May 2, for “lying” to a federal judge when it was said that his client would testify against the former oil minister and former president of the state oil company Rafael Ramírez would have accepted bribes.
According to a series of documents presented by the Associated Press journalist, Joshua Goodman, The lawyers warn that Reiter is not going to testify in the case against a banker accused in the US of hiding alleged bribes from high-ranking officials who were in the government because, according to the text, the prosecutors believed that there is little time for it and that there is an alleged flight risk.
The text in Spanish indicates that Reiter will not make any statement unless the US guarantees him “total immunity”.
*Read also: TSJ approves fourth request for the extradition of former oil czar Rafael Ramírez
The lawyers, according to Goodman, question whether US prosecutors knew about an April 26 sworn statement to Spanish authorities telling the court they would not depose Reiter; two-page text presented by the lawyers of the Portuguese banker Paulo Jorge Da Costa Casqueiro Murta, against whom the case is reportedly being built.
In a hearing yesterday, prosecutors withdrew plans to depose Reiter this week in Spain in a case against a banker accused in the US of stashing bribes paid to Venezuelan officials.
Their excuse: not enough time before trial and concerns the defendant was a flight risk. pic.twitter.com/Y68ffQMk2H
— Joshua Goodman (@APjoshgoodman) May 3, 2023
The lawyers also question if prosecutors knew about the 4/26 affidavit sent to Spanish authorities when they told the US court May 1 they wouldn’t depose Reiter.
If they did, it may constitute a violation of Murta’s constitutional right to exculpatory, so-called Brady material.
— Joshua Goodman (@APjoshgoodman) May 3, 2023
The Court for the Southern District of Texas granted the Thursday April 27 to the US Attorney’s Office that the former executive of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) Rafael Reiter, who in recent days had expressed his desire to testify before the US justice for a case against the former Minister of Petroleum Rafael Ramírez, testify from Spain.
On that occasion, Goodman explained that Reiter was going to testify against a European banker accused of hiding large amounts of money from PDVSA, as well as pointing out that the prosecutors following the case have evidence of bribery made by Rafael Ramírez.
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