Santiago, Chile, Sep 5 (Prensa Latina) Army members who helped former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet build his huge fortune abroad may be cleared from charges, judicial sources said Monday.


Although magistrate Sergio Muñoz ascertained the military involvement in embezzlement between 1981 and 1989, their crimes by now would be prescribed, reported La Tercera newspaper, quoting legal sources.



The situation of retired generals Guillermo Garin, Jorge Ballerino, Ramon Castro Ivanovic and Colonel Gustavo Collao was very complex because they opened accounts at the Riggs bank, where funds of the de facto government were distributed.



According to an investigation conducted by the US Senate, part of the 1.7 million-strong assets the military managed in the North American country funnelled into Pinochet´s secret accounts amounting to 27 million dollars, according to inquiries by Sergio Muñoz.



Muñoz interrogated retired generals Garin, Ballerino, Castro Ivanovic and Gustavo Collao to prove they collaborated with Pinochet abroad and transferred funds from their assets at Riggs to those of the ex dictator.



La Tercera daily said Muñoz proved that the former military committed crimes but he would not be able to try them, as their crimes were committed between 1982 and 1989 and the Chilean law establishes five years to try people for a minor offense and ten years for a criminal one.



If that regulation is applied, the ex army members will be absolved.



Recently, magistrate Sergio Muñoz tried Pinochet´s youngest son Marco Antonio and wife Lucia Hiriart for tax fraud.