DIFFERENT ANGLE by Kenneth Rijock
Prominent Antonini scandal figure Walter Alexander del Nogal was reportedly released from an Italian jail, where he was being held without bond on charges of trafficking narcotics to the Mafia, under unusual circumstances that suggest it occurred as the result of the corrupt influence of either a sovereign government, or organised crime, or both. The existence of pending escape charges against him in Switzerland, where he fled whilst serving a sentence for drug trafficking and money laundering, and a detainer reportedly lodged by the United States, should absolutely bar his release as a matter of law. Although he contacted Venezuelan media to advise of his release, strangely no Italian journalist has seen him in person as a free man, nor was any court order authorising his pre-trial release published, though it has been reported that a magistrate permitted his release. How can an individual charged with criminal dealings with the Mafia by a court simply walk out of jail unless he has help at the highest level of government? And was the Venezuelan government involved? A senior official of the Italian government reportedly met in Caracas with President Chavez and other high-level Venezuelan officials, and del Nogal's release occurred immediately thereafter.
Disinformation emanating from unknown pro-Chavez sources has been circulated to allege that a bribe of 50,000 Euros was paid by a leading Venezuelan opposition figure, to discredit him and his supporters, who first disclosed that the ultimate destination of the Antonini cash was the Kirschner presidential campaign.
The latest reports say that del Nogal, who was released subject to an immigration hold, and will be deported from an immigration procesing centre, will be leaving Italy soon. How can this happen when his passport was described by Italian authorites as bogus? Clearly, illicit influence was exerted somewhere in the Italian judicial system to effectuate his release from custody. Del Nogal does hold a senior position in Venezuela's intelligence police, known by its acronym, DISIP, but accused drug traffickers are not ordinarily granted their freedom because they are law enforcement agents, especially in the European Union.
Sources say that certain United States government agencies are extremely upset with del Nogal's release There are some hard questions here that both the Italian and Venezuelan governments need to answer.
The facts and opinions stated in this article are those of the author and not those of World-Check. World-Check does not warrant the accuracy of any facts and opinions stated in this article, does not endorse them, and accepts no responsibility for them.
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