Venezuela’s former Minister of Industry and Petroleum, Pedro Telechea, has been arrested, Attorney General Tarek Saab announced, alleging that he committed “serious crimes against the interests of the nation.”
In his Instagram announcement, Saab said Telechea was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning, along with people nearby, whom he did not name.
He had resigned for “health reasons”
On Friday, Telecea with its post on social networks announced his resignation citing “health reasons”.
According to Tarek Saab, Telechea handed over control of part of the state oil company PDVSA to a company controlled by US intelligence agencies. The attorney general did not provide further details.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro replaced Telechea with Alex Schaab, a close ally of his who was freed last year in a prisoner exchange with the US, where he was accused of money laundering.