Ecuadorean authorities detain former energy minister in bribery probe

FILE PHOTO: Ecuador's Energy Minister Xavier Vera and Vice Minister Xavier Briz, present Intracampos oil round to U.S. investors, in Houston, Texas, U.S, October 10, 2022. REUTERS/Marianna Parraga

QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuadorean authorities have detained a former energy minister amid an investigation into alleged bribery linked to state oil firm Petroecuador, the attorney general's office said on Monday.

An investigation of Xavier Vera, Ecuador's former minister of mines and energy, began last October following several corruption allegations, including that he arranged jobs at Petroecuador in exchange for bribes.