Pinochet assets frozen in Bermuda - report

The assets of former Chilean leader Gen Augusto Pinochet have been frozen in Bermuda following a request from Spanish judicial…

The assets of former Chilean leader Gen Augusto Pinochet have been frozen in Bermuda following a request from Spanish judicial authorities, according to a report today in Bermuda's the Royal Gazettenewspaper.

Gen Augusto Pinochet
Gen Augusto Pinochet

The assets were frozen over the weekend after a writ was filed in the island's Supreme Court. The British Foreign Office in London received a request to freeze assets held by Pinochet in the Bermuda subsidiary of Standard Life Assurance, according to the newspaper.

It is not known how much the military strongman or his family may have with the company or in Bermuda. Bermuda's Deputy Governor Tim Gurney would not confirm or deny the name of the company where the assets were frozen.

"We did receive a request via the Foreign Office from the Spanish judiciary about certain assets in Bermuda. As Bermuda is party to international conventions, action was taken over the weekend and assets have been frozen," Mr Gurney said.

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In the UK, documents were filed by a Spanish judge, Baltasar Garzon, in a bid to have Pinochet's assets frozen. Last year, Garzon failed to have Pinochet extradited from Britain to stand trial in Spain for his alleged involvement in political killings and human rights abuses during his 17-year rule.