Crimes Alex Saab must pay for
Alex Saab the Colombian businessman, who is accused of several crimes, related to money laundering, has been presented today before the judge and the prosecutors assigned to the case.
A short session where the allocation of the next hearing was stipulated, to define the possibility of a bond, which has been scheduled for November 1 of the current year.
This case of great importance due to the testimonies that the Colombian businessman may reveal, will be preceded by Judge Henry O'Sullivan, and the lawyer in charge of the defense is Abg. Henry Bell, professional by trade assigned to the defendant.
Judge O'Sullivan has asked to keep Colombian businessman Alex Saab under preventive detention for risk of flight.
Once the hearing to fix a possible bail has been held, the hearing will proceed where the charges against Alex Saab will be formally presented.
Alex Saab in front of the North American justice
Today the first appearance has been summoned in the city of Miami, Florida in a federal court of the same city.
The 49-year-old Colombian businessman, who appeared before Judge Josh J. O'Sullivan, at 1 pm remotely, despite the fact that the federal prison in which he is interned is a few meters from the courtroom, this due to preventive measures for coronavirus issues.
In this first hearing, which some experts describe as "mere formality", only the name of the person accused by this court, Alex Saab, has been ratified.
In addition to this, the judge has asked him if he understands the reasons why he was being prosecuted, to which the defendant answered affirmatively.
It is expected that at the next hearing a possible bail will be set or not, and later on another following date, the charges for which he will face the United States justice will be read to the defendant.
What are the charges against Alex Saab?
Alex Saab and his partner Álvaro Pulido Vargas, both of Colombian nationality, are charged with eight counts in the Southern District of Florida, in the United States. One count for conspiracy to commit money laundering and seven counts directly for money laundering.
According to the accusations, the Colombian businessmen carried out money laundering operations, thus violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Law (FCPA), taking advantage of an exchange rate controlled by the Venezuelan government.
In addition to this, for being related to a plan to pay bribes to high officials of the Venezuelan regime.
Accusations claim that Alex Saab, in the company of his partner Álvaro Pulido, received in 2011 a low-income housing contract, which, taking advantage of the preferential exchange rate controlled by the Venezuelan government, where they were able to obtain US dollars at a favorable rate, presenting false and fraudulent import documents, which were never imported into Venezuela, all thanks to bribes to Venezuelan officials who approved those documents.
In addition to this, the theft of at least 117.9 million dollars is added to the list of accusations against Alex Saab, through his activities in the CLAP program, a program through which the Venezuelan government gives food aid to Venezuelans..
He is also accused of the alleged illegal extraction and export of Venezuelan gold, a crime that was committed through an Istanbul company, which helped move 900 million dollars in gold to Turkey-
It is important to take into account that the person of Alex Saab has served as oxygen to a Venezuelan regime that has a series of sanctions imposed by the United States, giving the regime the opportunity to carry out all the operations sanctioned by Washington through companies. all over the world belonging to the Saab network.