Venezuelan prosecutors bring new charges against head of anti-Chavez television channel

Guillermo Zuloaga, president and owner of Globovision, called the charges "harassment" as he left a prosecutors' office, insisting he has done nothing illegal.

Venezuela's government is pursuing a spate of investigations against Globovision that could lead to its closure. The station is strongly critical of President Hugo Chavez's socialist policies, and Zuloaga says the charges are meant to intimidate him and the channel.

Prosecutors said earlier this week that a judge had barred the businessman and his son from leaving the country.

On Friday, Judge Alicia Torres said she did not make that ruling of her own free will. She told reporters the president of the Caracas judicial circuit, Veneci Blanco, came to her office Wednesday and ordered her to issue the decision.

Prosecutors did not immediately respond to Torres' claim, nor did Blanco.

Zuloaga and his son were already charged with usury last month in the same case. Prosecutors said in a statement Friday that they added a "continuity" degree to the charge to consider multiple violations of the same law, and added a charge of committing a crime in concert with others.

A police raid seized 24 Toyotas outside a Caracas home owned by Zuloaga in May, prompting an investigation into two car dealerships he jointly owns. Authorities have said it was "irregular" for Zuloaga to keep the vehicles there and allege he intended to charge excessive markups on the vehicles.

Zuloaga said he stored the vehicles on his property for safekeeping because one of his dealerships had been robbed.

"There's nothing illegal here. There's nothing to hide here," the 67-year-old businessman said.