[bbfan1991]

A crossword author has been questioned for planting hidden messages in the answers in Venezuela.

English teacher Neptali Segovia voluntarily spoke to police about the matter, after TV presenter Miguel Perez Pirela pointed out that the crossword contained several hints towards an assassination plot.

Wednesday's puzzle for the Ultimas Noticias contained the word 'asesinen', or kill, along with the name of president Hugo Chavez's brother 'Adan'.

Below there was also the word 'rafagas', meaning either a gust of wind or a burst of gunfire.

Segovia - who has written crosswords for the newspaper for 17 years - dismissed the TV report as nonsense.

He said: "I went because I'm the first one interested in having all this cleared up. I have nothing to hide."

President Hugo Chavez will run for re-election against state governor Henrique Capriles this October.