Court strips Pinochet of immunity

Chile’s Supreme Court has stripped former dictator Gen Augusto Pinochet of immunity from prosecution for corruption charges related to his multimillion pound bank accounts overseas.

Pinochet, 89, has been stripped of his presidential immunity at least four times before, but always in cases stemming from the massive human rights abuses during his 1973-90 dictatorship.

This time, the court decided that Pinochet can be tried on charges related to his bank accounts in other countries, including the United States.

The charges filed by Judge Sergio Munoz include tax evasion, filing a false tax return and using false passports to open bank accounts abroad.

Yesterday’s ruling by the top court upheld a previous one by the Santiago Court of Appeals.

A decision on whether to actually try Pinochet will have to be made by a judge yet to be appointed by the Supreme Court.

The judge that originally filed the charges, Munoz, had to leave the case because he has since been promoted to the Supreme Court.