A judge in Chile questioned the 94-year-old widow of the late dictator Augusto Pinochet on Wednesday over charges she embezzled public funds through a women's non-profit group she ran.
Lucia Hiriart is accused of using money from the foundation to fund Pinochet's battle against extradition from Britain in the 1990s.
Investigating judge Guillermo de la Barra visited the suspect, Lucia Hiriart, at her luxury home in the east of the capital Santiago.
He left the building without commenting to reporters.
De la Barra said before the visit that he would question Hiriart over the embezzlement accusations.
She is suspected of embezzling the proceeds from selling off real estate ceded by the state to the CEMA-Chile foundation, over which she presided over until a few weeks ago.
Formerly a training institution for women, the foundation provided popular backing for the Pinochet regime, under which thousands of people were abducted or killed.
After the dictatorship, CEMA transformed into a lucrative property business until the embezzlement charges caught up with Hiriart.
The government is suing to recover possession of 135 public properties it says were ceded to CEMA, worth some $120 million.
Chile marked the 10th anniversary of Pinochet's death on Saturday.
He ruled the country with an iron fist from 1973 to 1990.
He was arrested in London in 1998, when British magistrates ordered him to be extradited to Spain, where judges wanted to try him for human rights violations.
However, the British government eventually ordered Pinochet's release on health grounds.
He died in 2006 without ever being brought to justice for crimes committed by his regime.
A judge in Chile questioned the 94-year-old widow of the late dictator Augusto Pinochet on Wednesday over charges she embezzled public funds through a women’s non-profit group she ran.
Lucia Hiriart is accused of using money from the foundation to fund Pinochet’s battle against extradition from Britain in the 1990s.
Investigating judge Guillermo de la Barra visited the suspect, Lucia Hiriart, at her luxury home in the east of the capital Santiago.
He left the building without commenting to reporters.
De la Barra said before the visit that he would question Hiriart over the embezzlement accusations.
She is suspected of embezzling the proceeds from selling off real estate ceded by the state to the CEMA-Chile foundation, over which she presided over until a few weeks ago.
Formerly a training institution for women, the foundation provided popular backing for the Pinochet regime, under which thousands of people were abducted or killed.
After the dictatorship, CEMA transformed into a lucrative property business until the embezzlement charges caught up with Hiriart.
The government is suing to recover possession of 135 public properties it says were ceded to CEMA, worth some $120 million.
Chile marked the 10th anniversary of Pinochet’s death on Saturday.
He ruled the country with an iron fist from 1973 to 1990.
He was arrested in London in 1998, when British magistrates ordered him to be extradited to Spain, where judges wanted to try him for human rights violations.
However, the British government eventually ordered Pinochet’s release on health grounds.
He died in 2006 without ever being brought to justice for crimes committed by his regime.
