Lawyers for Alex Saab, a close friend of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, accused of money laundering, on Thursday, September 9 denounced Cape Verde's court decision to extradite their client to the United States on Tuesday, calling it "
constitutional suicide
".
Read also Venezuela: Maduro will evoke a "direct dialogue" with the United States
Indicted in July 2019 in Miami for money laundering, Alex Saab, 49, was finally arrested during a technical stop on his plane in Cape Verde in mid-June 2020. He is currently under house arrest after six months of 'incarceration.
45 days to execute the decision
By law, the state now has 45 days to execute the decision of the Constitutional Court.
"
This decision symbolizes the expiatory death of the rule of law so desired by Cape Verdeans
" and responds "
to the purely political interests of an agenda dictated by Washington.
It is a constitutional suicide
”, affirms the defense of Alex Saab in a statement received by AFP in Caracas.
Alex Saab is accused by the United States of pulling the strings of a vast network that allowed socialist leader Nicolas Maduro and his regime to divert food aid to Venezuela for their benefit.
In March, the Court of States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ordered the release of Alex Saab.
But the Supreme Court of Cape Verde had validated his extradition arguing that the country had not signed an agreement giving legitimacy to this supranational court.
"An injustice"
Alex Saab, who had appealed to the Constitutional Court, denounces an "
injustice
", linked to "
the political nature
" of his arrest and the proceedings against him in the United States.
With his partner Alvaro Pulido, also indicted for money laundering, Alex Saab would have transferred 350 million dollars (285 million euros) outside Venezuela to foreign accounts they owned or controlled.
The two men face up to 20 years in prison.
The Venezuelan opposition describes Alex Saab as a "
figurehead
" of the power of Nicolas Maduro.
Read also Venezuela: resumption of talks between the government of Nicolás Maduro and the opposition
Caracas, which granted Alex Saab Venezuelan nationality and the diplomatic title of "
special envoy
", considers his detention on the African archipelago as "
arbitrary
".
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