At least two Venezuelan officials received in Miami "questionable payments" from a realtor in Florida to sell a building property of the Venezuelan state, a front-page article in "The New Herald" disclosed Tuesday, as quoted by DPA.

Recipients, according to the newspaper, were Fadel Muci, senior advisor to Citgo, the US-based subsidiary of oil-state holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), and William Grillet, then administrative executive office of the Bank for Economic and Social Development (Bandes.)

Building 11101, located in the Miami financial district, Brickel Avenue, was property of Bandes, the bank of the Venezuelan government.

During an affidavit taken at a Miami state court, Ray Barreth, the head of realtor  Barreth Business Group (BBG), "acknowledged payment of  about USD 1.4 million to Muci for lobbying in Venezuela and additional steps to make BBG be chosen in 2004 as middleman for the sale of the building," the newspaper stated.

"However, the legal rank of lobbying does not exist in Venezuela and anti-corruption rules and regulations in that country punish behavior of officials who accept money to take action before the state on behalf of particular interests," The New Herald said.

Peggy Linares, BBG representative in Latin America, swore also under oath that Grillet, presently operational manager at the Banks Superintendence in Venezuela, "received an unspecified portion out of the amount delivered to Muci for having made the Venezuelan government to award the contract."
 
"Corruption has gone beyond Venezuelan borders," Linares claimed. BBG acknowledged receipt of USD 2.8 million as fees for selling the building.