SANTIAGO: Chile announced Monday it was partly lifting a freeze on assets of late ex-dictator General Augusto Pinochet, some 23 homes, all of which are held by courts.
Judge Manuel Valderrama who is leading an investigation into the origin of Pinochet's weath, accepted a request by an attorney for the ex-dictator's heirs, Pablo Rodriguez, for back taxes to be paid.
Details on the amount of taxes were not immediately released.
On August 5, Valderrama decided to close what is known in Chile as the "Riggs case," for a now defunct US bank where Pinochet held accounts, after a nine-year probe.
In that case, six former military staff were charged and could have been jailed for up to 10 years had they been convicted.
Neither Pinochet's children nor his wife were charged with a crime though they originally were indicted as part of the probe.
A state defense appeals prosecutor filed an appeal for the case to be reopened; pending action, the properties are under court embargo.
More than 3,200 people were killed or "disappeared" (abducted and presumed killed) during the 1973-1990 Pinochet dictatorship, and 28,000 were tortured.
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