Colombia anti-graft head held on US warrant: attorney

The head of Colombia's anti- corruption prosecution service was himself arrested to face graft charges in the United States, the Colombian attorney general has said.

Luis Gustavo Moreno Rivero, head of the national anti- corruption department, was arrested under an order transmitted by Interpol, Attorney General Nestor Humberto Martinez said in a statement yesterday.

The US Justice Department said in a statement that Moreno, 35, is charged in Florida with "conspiracy to launder money with the intent to promote foreign bribery." It said he is accused of meeting in Florida with a defendant from whom he sought tens of thousands of dollars in bribes. In return he allegedly offered to help spare the defendant a judicial investigation.

Martinez said extradition proceedings would be launched against Moreno and a codefendant in the coming days.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)