Investigations into Pinochet unnerve British institutions

[seemslikeadream]

While under arrest in a small house by a golf course at Virginia Water in Surrey, he was able to shuffle millions of dollars of his personal fortune through Riggs, a Washington-based bank with a branch at 60 St. James Street in London's West End.

Over the past 10 days, Riggs, which held accounts for other Pinochet family members, the Chilean army and the secret police, has been sold off for US$779 million, a fraction of its former worth.

It reports that it "opened at least six accounts and issued several certificates of deposit for Augusto Pinochet, former President of Chile, while he was un-der house arrest in the United Kingdom and his assets were the subject of court proceedings ... altered the names of his personal accounts to disguise their ownership; transferred from London to the United States while Pinochet was in detention and the subject of a court order to attach his bank accounts ... and delivered over in cashiers' checks to Pinochet in Chile to enable him to obtain substantial cash payments from banks in that country."

In 1996 and 1998, the sub-committee said, Riggs helped Pinochet set up two offshore shell corporations in the Bahamas, Ashburton Company and Althorp Investment. Neither company had any employees or offices, but were listed as the nominal owners of Riggs' bank accounts and certificates of deposit that benefited Pinochet and his family.

The former dictator had up to US$8 million in Riggs accounts, though his pay as army head in 1998 was a mere US$10,057.
more
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/07/26/2003180534

[seemslikeadream]

1. “There’s no way a General can accumulate that money”

Mercosur
Monday, 26 July

Mr. Augusto Pinochet
Two special magistrates Sergio Muñoz and Juan Guzmán are currently
“There’s no way a General can accumulate that money”investigating the alleged non declared funds of Mr. Pinochet, a fact that was first revealed by The Washington Post a few weeks ago following an investigation by the US Congress into American banks involved in money laundering.
An internal memorandum from the Riggs Bank,


dated September 11, 2002,


specifies details of funds transfers at the time when United States federal authorities were checking into Mr. Pinochet bank accounts and movements.

Apparently and according to the memorandum, Mr. Pinochet and wife Mrs. Luica Hiriart Pinochet between August 2000 and April 2002 withdrew 38 checks totaling two million US dollars. Riggs Bank insists the checks were deposited in a Chilean bank.

However the magistrates have warned that it’s the Chilean Internal Taxing Office that must begin judicial actions to determine whether the alleged funds, between 4 and 8 million US dollars deposited in the Riggs Bank were effectively declared.

Apparently the Chilean Internal Taxing Office has requested the Foreign Affairs Ministry information about the alleged funds deposited in Washington. However it was pointed out that all of Mr. Pinochet’s income and earnings in public office are in order.
more
http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=3997

[Octafish]

5. Riggs was headed by JONATHAN BUSH of the BFEE.

Riggs Bank found involved in money laundering

One of Washington's oldest banks will have to stop its long existence

07/20/2004 11:23

One of the oldest and most prestigious banks in the US - Riggs Bank - stops its 168-year old existence. It was Riggs Bank, which provided the American government with $7.2 million in gold bullions to purchase Alaska from Russia.

Twenty-one American presidents used to be Riggs Bank's clients. Jonathan Bush, George W. Bush's uncle, has been chairing the bank's investment department to present day.

SNIP...

Riggs Bank's assets are evaluated in six billion dollars. The bank has over 50 departments in Washington. It is considered to be the USA's largest bank to service foreign embassies and diplomatic missions. The conditions of the transaction with PNC Financial Services Group stipulate the bank's complete renunciation of keeping foreign embassies accounts and operating with foreign clients in offshore zones.

Riggs Bank's main building is situated opposite the White House and the Treasury Department. The sale of one of Washington's oldest bank was announced, when it became known that Riggs Bank was insufficiently checking its client's accounts within the framework of the money laundering struggle. The investigation was conducted by the US Senate and the Treasury Department.

The investigation revealed serious violations the bank had made in keeping Saudi Arabia embassy's accounts. It also unveiled multimillion accounts connected with renowned dictators - former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet and Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang.

CONTINUED...

http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/368/13453_riggsbank.html

BTW: This really says something when fucking Pravda has better coverage than any of the major US dailies!

[struggle4progress]

2. kick

:kick:

[Solon]

3. That should be very interesting...

while they are at it, extradite Kissinger to Chile please, maybe the people there will pull a Mussolini on him (I can dream can't I?)

[seemslikeadream]

4. Yes you can Solon

I should know

PINOCHET CHARGED WITH CORRUPTION
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=699610

[goforit]

6. Sounds like Poppy did favors for his little buddy.....Follow the $$$$$$

ROFLMAO!!!!