Prensa Latina

August 11, 2006
Santiago, Chile: The judge investigating the origin of the personal fortune of Augusto Pinochet rejected a request for dismissal by his defense lawyers because of his state of health and impaired ability to speak, judicial sources said here Friday.

In his decision, Judge Carlos Cerda, in charge of so-called Riggs Case, made note of Pinochet’s busy agenda last year, including meetings with politicians, business leaders, military officers and lawyers.

Regarding Pinochet’s physical and mental condition, the resolution also cited the conclusions found by experts from the Legal Medical Service, who tested and examined Pinochet in the framework of the Colombo Case, another charge against him.

They determined that Pinochet was to some extent simulating, and that he does not present incapacities for memory, attention, comprehension, judgement, or learning.

The Riggs case of Pinochet’s secret accounts were discovered in July 2004 by a US Senate committee tracking possible funds destined to terrorism by individuals or organizations in the Riggs Bank.