June 9, 2006
Venezuelan Supreme court judge impeached for corruption

(Venezuelanalysis.com) - "After Supreme Court Judge Luis Velásquez Alvaray refused to present himself before the National Assembly to defend himself from corruption charges, the legislative body permanently removed him from his post (...)

Velásquez also said he knew of the existence of an arrest order out against him.

In March, Interior and Justice Minister Jesse Chacón accused Velásquez of mismanaging money of the Executive Directorate of the Judicial System (DEM) used to start up a judicial complex. Among other allegations, Velásquez stands accused of failing to allow for a bidding process, and instead, illegally giving a no bid contract to a private company.

Last month, Velásquez was temporarily suspended when the attorney general, public defender, and comptroller general announced that there were enough elements of evidence to declare that Velásquez had seriously mismanaged the money.

The former magistrate has repeatedly denied the charges, saying that Chacón, Vice President José Vicente Rangel, and President of the National Assembly Nicolás Maduro, have instigated the proceedings because he would not let them control him in the Supreme Court (...)".