Last Updated on July 22, 2020, 8:46 PM AST by Anthony Morris
The United States is giving out a reward of $5m for information which would lead to the arrest or conviction of Maikel Moreno, the chief justice of Venezuela.
The United States accuses Mr Moreno of participating in transnational organised crime.
However, Moreno denies the allegations.
Moreno is the latest senior official in the administration of President Nicolás Maduro for whom a multi-million dollar reward has been announced.
The United States does not recognise the Maduro government as a legitimate government.
54-year-old Moreno has been the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Venezuela since February 2017.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has played a vital role in overruling or annulling the laws which have been passed by the National Assembly, the only institution that is not controlled by the Maduro government.
The United States State Department has alleged that Mr Moreno has received bribes in exchange for telling the judges to release the defendants or to dismiss the cases altogether.
Moreno was charged with money laundering by a Florida court, earlier this year.
The United States Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program offered to give 5 million dollars for the information which would lead to his arrest or his conviction for his alleged participation in transnational organised crime.
The Secretary of State for the United States, Mike Pompeo, said that the US government was sending out a clear message.
However, Moreno has dismissed the allegations by saying that it was not the first time when the North American empire seeks to attack him with their clumsy attacks, which are according to him, full of lies and manipulations.
Moreno added that the unfounded and cowardly accusations like these only strengthen his desire to keep working for the Supreme Court and guarantee the access to due process and justice to all citizens of Venezuela.
Human rights groups have said that the rights of Venezuelan citizens are violated frequently in the form of torture by the security forces, arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
