Venezuelan prosecutor Daisy López has issued a bench warrant against a businessman accused of covering-up an election scandal in Argentina. López’ order dictates that local authorities and Interpol should try to capture Guido Antonini Wilson who is wanted in Venezuela for questioning. According to one Venezuelan source, he is supposedly in Miami helping federal officials with their case.Antonini Wilson (image) was caught nearly one year ago trying to smuggle $800,000 in cash from Venezuela for Cristina Kirchner’s presidential campaign. As a result, he is wanted in Argentina on smuggling and money laundering charges.
Meanwhile, the attorney for one of the defendants on trial in Florida over the “Maletagate” scandal has accused the U.S. government of trying to thwart Antonini Wilson’s extradition to Argentina:
“It appears that the government was stonewalling Argentina about its extradition request,'' Edward Shohat, an attorney for Franklin Duran, said at a hearing yesterday in federal court in Miami…
No promises have been made and there has been no wink and no nod'' over the extradition request, Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Mulvihill said at the hearing yesterday.
Unlike the other defendants, Duran has pled innocent of all charges and has been reported as a “key witness” against the alleged conspirators.
The “Maletagate” scandal has been a convoluted affair with lots of finger-pointing and judicial red tape. Rumors constantly surface over what really happened; defendant Carlos Kauffman had even accused Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez of being “involved in the affair.”
Image- cadenaglobal.com
Sources (English)- The Latin Americanist, eluniversal.com, Bloomberg
Sources (Spanish)- venevision.net, www.2001.com.ve
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