Bolivian government fires state oil chief

    Bolivian President Evo Morales replaced Samtos Ramirez with Carlos Villegas, current planning minister and former energy minister.

    Earlier this week, Jorge O'Connor, a Bolivian businessman, was murdered while carrying 450,000 U.S. dollars in cash and assailants fled with the money.

    Local media quoted prosecutors and police sources as saying the money was going to be handed over by O'Connor to Ramirez's brother-in-law and that O'Connor worked for Argentine-Bolivian energy company Catler Uniservice, which won a contract to build a natural gas plant in Bolivia for YPFB last year.

    Ramirez, who has not been charged with any crime, denied any wrongdoing Friday. Catler Uniservice, meanwhile, has yet to make any comments on the case.

    Morales, while announcing the new YPFB head, vowed a thorough investigation into the murder case, according to the ABI, Bolivia's official news agency.