CARACAS, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab on Wednesday dismissed allegations of graft made by his predecessor Luisa Ortega Diaz against the president and his top aides.
Ortega, who fled the country last week and is now in Brazil, claimed she had evidence of wrongdoing by President Nicolas Maduro and others in his administration.
Ortega, a vocal critic of Maduro's administration, was under investigation for fueling violent anti-government protests. Her husband, who fled with her, was also being investigated for alleged extortion.
At a press conference, Saab said Ortega's counter-accusations were a smokescreen designed to deflect attention away from her own crimes.
Addressing Ortega, Saab said the evidence he had was "so concrete, so strong, so tremendous that you are not going to be able to cover it up with the allegations being made abroad."
In Brasilia, Ortega had claimed Maduro and two senior government officials benefited from a multinational bribery scheme operated by Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which paid officials in exchange for lucrative public works contracts.
Ortega said she would hand over the documents to the authorities of the United States, Colombia and Spain "so they can investigate."
According to Saab, Ortega would have made the allegations earlier, if they were true.
"Why didn't she and why is she cooperating 10 years later and from outside the country?" he asked, adding that her accusations could be part of an attempt to smear Maduro and the ruling socialist party.
