Pinochet accused of tax evasion on foreign millions

THE former dictator General Augusto Pinochet was indicted yesterday and put under house arrest on tax evasion and corruption charges stemming from the multi-million-pound accounts he holds overseas, a judge has announced.

Pinochet's defence lawyer, Pablo Rodriguez, immediately announced an appeal based on the same health grounds that led courts to block several attempts to try Pinochet, who is 90 on Friday, in the past.

The indictment and arrest order issued by Judge Carlos Cerda of the Santiago Court of Appeals were communicated to Pinochet by court official Silvia Papi at his suburban Santiago mansion, state television reported.

According to Cerda's ruling Pinochet could be freed on bail at 12 million pesos (12,900), but that would have to be approved by the Santiago Court of Appeals.

It was the first time the judicially embattled retired general was indicted for charges not related to the massive human rights abuses during his 1973-90 dictatorship.

The decision by Judge Cerda, however, does not guarantee that Pinochet will actually face a full trial.

He has been indicted twice in the past on human rights charges, but the courts blocked the trials on health grounds.

Two other trial attempts were stopped for the same reason at earlier stages, and scores of other criminal suits filed against him by relatives of victims of his regime are still pending.