Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab
detailed on Tuesday that the Body of Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigation ( Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas abbreviated CICPC ) also known as Scientific Police found Bs$ 200 million ( USD$ 61,000 ) in the vehicle of a family member of the opposition leader Leopoldo López .
According to the prosecutor, the Scientific Police found the money inside four wooden boxes.
"Since the crime entails a linkage with the existing criminal laws, the Public Ministry will proceed to investigate," William Saab added.
Lilian Tintori, wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López, confirmed that the vehicle is hers and that the money belongs to her family and it is being used to pay for the medical expenses of her grandmother.
Tintori denied the money found in the vehicle had an illegal origin.
On July 8 , the government of President Nicolás Maduro granted Leopoldo López house arrest on “ humanitarian grounds ” because of his “health situation” after spending three years and five months in the Ramo Verde military prison, on the outskirts of Caracas .
The Venezuelan opposition leader is serving a sentence of almost 14 years in prison over accusations of inciting anti-government protests that left 43 dead in 2014 .
sg