US charges Bolivian ex-minister Murillo with corruption

Arturo Murillo (left) was interior minister between November 2019 and November 2020

Bolivian ex-Interior Minister Arturo Murillo has been charged in the US with corruption and money laundering.

Mr Murillo was arrested along with his chief of staff and three US businessmen last week.

The US justice department said the Bolivian officials took bribes from the businessmen, who had won multi-million dollar contracts to supply tear gas to the Bolivian government.

They could face up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

Mr Murillo's lawyer has not responded to requests for comment, the Associated Press reports.

Who is Arturo Murillo?

The 57-year-old was a senator before being named interior minister in the government of interim president Jeanine Áñez. He was in the post for a year from November 2019.

Mr Murillo served under interim president Jeanine Áñez

He was considered a hardliner in Ms Áñez's government, which came to power following the departure of then-President Evo Morales, who left Bolivia after the chief of the army had urged him to stand down over allegations of vote rigging.

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Mr Murillo is believed to have ordered the tough police response to protests which followed the departure of Mr Morales. Dozens of people were killed in clashes between the security forces and demonstrators, according to the ombudsman's office.

He also played a key role in attempts to prosecute Mr Morales on charges of sedition and terrorism. He accused Mr Morales of fomenting unrest in the weeks which followed the 2019 presidential elections.

Following the re-run of the Bolivian election in 2020, which was won by an ally of Mr Morales, the charges against Mr Morales were dismissed and his arrest warrant was cancelled.

Members of the interim government, including Ms Áñez, have since been arrested and accused of leading a right-wing coup against Mr Morales with the support of the police and the military

What are the charges against Mr Murillo?

Mr Murillo and his chief of staff, Sergio Méndez, are accused "of receiving bribes paid by a US company and individuals to secure a Bolivian government contract, and then using the US financial system to launder those bribes," according to the indictment.

Prosecutors allege Mr Murillo and Mr Méndez took $602,000 (£426,000) from the US businessmen in exchange for a $5.6m contract to buy gas masks from their firm, which supplies equipment to the police and military.