The Uruguayan subsidiary of state-owned oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) denied any relationship with Guido Antonini Wilson, Miguel Castellán, the company legal counsel, told Montevideo's daily newspaper El País, as quoted by Ansa.

"Antonini does not belong or did not belong to the company. Nor did he make any business with Pdvsa Uruguay and we produced evidence of that," said Castellón, who appeared to testify in a Montevideo's court in connection with the USD 800,000 suitcase scandal.

He said that Pdvsa did not pay for Antonini's stay in Uruguay, "as some said."