12 June 2008

Alert

Business daily accuses five bankers of being behind its vice-president's murder


Incident details

Pierre Fould Gerges

other

killed

This is available in:

English Français Español
(RSF/IFEX) - The management of the "Reporte de la Economía" daily has accused a network of five bankers of being behind the murder of its vice-president, Pierre Fould Gerges, who was gunned down in Caracas on 2 June 2008.

The newspaper's lawyer, Giselle Suárez, said at a news conference on 9 June that the investigation was focussing on a financial group that "constitutes an appendage of the state, which has created a state within the state." She added: "The government has nothing to do with this case. It is not a political crime, but a crime against free expression."

While not confirming this theory, interior minister Ramón Rodríguez Chacín meanwhile said the investigation was advancing "very rapidly."

Reporters Without Borders commented: "The utmost care is required with this case. One of the hypotheses is that the victim was murdered by mistake, that the killers mistook him for his brother, Tanous Gerges, president of 'Reporte de la Economía', who was targeted for reasons that remain to be established."

Updates the Gerges case: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/94239



Source:

Reporters Without Borders
47, rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
rsf (@) rsf.org
Phone: +33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51
 

Stay on top of free expression news.

Sign up to receive the weekly IFEX Communiqué.


More on this case

Newspaper's lawyer receives death threats warning her to stop commenting on recent murder of its vice-president 2 July 2008 Newspaper executive slain in Caracas, following dozens of death threats against daily's administrative staff 4 June 2008

Venezuela

Journalists attacked by men at funeral 8 February 2012 Journalists' Twitter accounts hacked after posting controversial photos 7 February 2012 Journalist briefly detained after covering oil spill 27 January 2012 Globovisión news crew denied entry to swearing-in of defense minister 25 January 2012 Journalist threatened via Twitter 16 January 2012 See all alerts: Venezuela


 
The International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) is a global network of 95 organisations working to defend and promote the right to free expression.
Permission is granted for material on this website to be reproduced or republished in whole or in part provided the source member and/or IFEX is cited with a link to the original item.