US offers $10 million for Colombian businessman linked to Venezuela bribery scheme

FILE PHOTO: The flag of the U.S. State Department flies in Washington, U.S., April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

CARACAS (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Friday announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Colombian businessman Alvaro Pulido over money laundering charges in connection with an alleged Venezuela bribery scheme.

The reward announcement came a day after the U.S. Justice Department accused Pulido, 57, and four other people, including a politician from Venezuela's ruling party, of laundering the proceeds of a bribery scheme to obtain and retain inflated contracts through a Venezuelan state-run food and medicine distribution program known as CLAP.