Fugitive Peravia bank execs ´linked´ to drug trafficking

Santo Domingo.- NationalDistrict notes Yeni Berenice Reynoso on Thursday said Venezuela national JoseLuis Santoro, one of the major stakeholder in the collapsed Peravia bank, is linkedto the world of drug trafficking and money laundering.

The accusationfigures in an extradition request against the fugitive and 11 codefendants in thealleged bank scam.

"The accused waslinked to the world of drug trafficking and money laundering through theNational Police Capt. Brezhnev Jimenez, currently charged with drug traffickingand money laundering," said Reynoso.

In addition to Santoro extradition requests were issued forhis wife, Cristina Martidonna, his daughter Maria Cristina Santoro, GabrielJimenez Aray, Daniel Alejandro Morales Santoro, Maximo Bertilomo, Luis ManuelMelo Peña, Evelyn Serret de Santana, Miriam Serret, Luis Valerio Herrera, JoseCarlos Bergantinos and Lorenzo Alejandro Labiosa.

The Prosecutor notesthat Santoro and Jimenez Aray were the bank´s principal owners and itsoperational heads.

The request forextradition submitted to an Instruction Court judges says that over 75% of allPeravia bank loans were fraudulent, to benefit the accused personally.