Pinochet's family,
associates released on
bail
Former Chilean leader
Augusto Pinochet's
widow, children and
associates were released
on bail Saturday, two
days after they were
arrested on charges of
embezzling public funds.
A Santiago appeals court
issued the order after
Supreme Court Judge
Carlos Cerda agreed to
grant a temporary
release on bail for
Pinochet's relatives and
former associates.
Pinochet's two sons and
three daughters were set
free after they each
paid bail of around 600
U.S. dollars.
On Thursday, Judge Cerda
ordered the detention of
23 relatives and former
associates of Pinochet
in the so-called Riggs
case, in which Pinochet
has been accused of
embezzling around 20
million U.S. dollars of
public funds for his own
accounts in the U.S.
during his 1973-1990
rule.
In addition to
Pinochet's family, the
detainees included his
17former aides, with six
retired army generals
and Pinochet's lawyers
among them.
Lucia Hiriart,
Pinochet's widow, has
been hospitalized since
her arrest, while the
other 22 had been in
detention since
Thursday. |
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