Chilean judge to push tax probe against Pinochet
The Santiago Court of Appeals confirmed Wednesday that Judge Sergio Munoz will continue to be in charge of the investigation into the tax evasion cases of former dictator Augusto Pinochet and his collaborators.

The 7th tribunal of the Court of Appeals presented to the lawyers a resolution rejecting a petition to remove Munoz from the case. Munoz has been away from the investigation since Jan. 25.

The investigation was launched after the finding of secret accounts of Pinochet in Riggs Bank, Washington, totaling 16 million US dollars whose origins are ignored. It is suspected that money laundering could be the source.

Pinochet was also accused of tax evasion.

Through the Court of Appeals' ruling, Munoz will be able to move on to remove the immunity of Pinochet as requested by the Internal Tax Service.

Pinochet in February offered to pay 5 million dollars in back taxes in hopes courts would allow him access to some 6.5 million dollars in assets frozen during the tax probe.

The 89-year-old man took power in a bloody coup in 1973 and ruled for 17 years.

The Supreme Court has stripped Pinochet of immunity in two human rights cases but the cases have been delayed because of his health problems claimed by his defense.