- Title: Venezuela's attorney general rails against his predecessor
- Date: 23rd August 2017
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (AUGUST 23, 2017) (REUTERS) VENEZUELA'S CHIEF PROSECUTOR, TAREK WILLIAM SAAB, WALKING TO PODIUM VARIOUS OF SAAB AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELA'S CHIEF PROSECUTOR, TAREK WILLIAM SAAB, SAYING: "Since the former office holder was going to sacrifice herself on the streets of Venezuela, she was going to protest with the people over morality, decency, she would even give her life within that institution (the Public Ministry), that they would see her on the streets fighting. And what the people saw was her fleeing on a yacht, on private planes-- a kind of world tour from Caribbean islands to Colombia to Brazil and from Brazil to who knows where." VARIOUS OF SAAB AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELA'S CHIEF PROSECUTOR TAREK WILLIAM SAAB, SAYING: "The main piece for a military occupation against our country was the former attorney general of the republic (referring to Luisa Ortega) with each of her statements and with each of her actions. Fortunately, our people are very smart and was not on her side during her adventure." VARIOUS OF SAAB TALKING TO JOURNALISTS AT END OF NEWS CONFERENCE SAAB WALKING OUT
- Embargoed: 6th September 2017 19:34
- Keywords: Attorney general Tarek William Saab rails against Luisa Ortega Diaz
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016VDP7PJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Venezuelan chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab mocked dismissed prosecutor Luisa Ortega and echoed accusations by President Nicolas Maduro that she has worked for some time with the United States.
Ortega was removed from her position early this month by Venezuela's newly formed constituent assembly, a controversial pro-government body whose installation was called dictatorial by governments worldwide.
Maduro said on Tuesday (August 22) he would seek Ortega's arrest, accusing her of ties with Washington which he blames for many of Venezuela's problems, including triple-digit inflation, shortages of basic goods and months of anti-government unrest.
Ortega, a key player in Maduro's government until she broke with it in March, fled last week to Colombia by boat and on Wednesday (August 23) morning landed in Brazil.
She said she had been persecuted in an effort to hide evidence that President Nicolas Maduro was involved in corruption with construction company Odebrecht. She offered none, she said she would give details to authorities in the United States, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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