The case of 53-year-old Jacob Ostreicher was highlighted last week by the Bloomberg Business Week website, which maintains that local prosecutors have so far presented no evidence to support their claims that he might have been involved in laundering drug money.
Adding to Mr Ostreicher’s woes was a development last week, which saw the presiding judge in the matter stand down, with the news agency suggesting his departure will cause even more delay.
The Associated Press reports that Bolivian prosecutors and other senior government officials refuse to discuss the case. US diplomats say they are investigating all avenues to assist Mr Ostreicher, but so far to no avail.
Speaking over the telephone after a recent court hearing, Mr Ostreicher told Bloomberg: ‘This is the scam of the century. I feel like I’ve been hijacked and kidnapped by people who are hiding behind the law.’