Venezuela asks US court of appeals to vacate sale order of Citgo's parent

HOUSTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Parties representing Venezuela in a court-ordered auction of the parent of Venezuela-owned refiner Citgo Petroleum have requested a U.S. court of appeals to vacate a ruling last month by a Delaware judge that ordered the sale of the shares to an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management, the board that supervises the refiner said on Tuesday.

The board said the auction was tainted by conflicts of interest and legal errors, which undermined the neutrality required in the process and reduced Citgo's value. The board will continue to exercise defenses to protect the company, it said in a release.