The British police have arrested Venezuelan entrepreneur Alejandro Betancourt López in London at the request of the National Court and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office for alleged crimes committed in Spain, according to sources reported to EL PERIÓDICO. Other reports indicate that after a few hours, this businessman has already been released.
Betancourt, who is part of the group known in Venezuela as ‘bolichicos’, is a co-founder of Derwick Associates Corp and has also been involved in the energy sector. A report from the Police’s Internal Affairs, included in the ongoing Caranjuez case being investigated in a Madrid court, links Betancourt to “multiple cases of corruption in Venezuela and the United States,” according to Internal Affairs agents, who noted that he was not charged in this case.
The police report states that a Spanish lawyer received €500,000 for services rendered to Alejandro Betancourt. “The funds were used for the purchase of at least one vehicle and jewelry, as well as for bank accounts held by him, his companies, or third-party firms in which he had an interest,” the report concludes.
The lawyer justified this payment with a document dated May 4, 2015, which stated: “Professional fees for Consulting and Advising in the field of Social Media. According to the Professional Engagement Letter Asto. L.A Betacourt.” This professional engagement letter was, as per the Police, created on April 15, 2015, by Betancourt López.
Agencies