Warrants Served for Pinochet Family, Staff

Arrest warrants for embezzlement were issued today in Chile for associates of former dictator Augusto Pinochet, including his widow and five children, the BBC reports. The warrants allege that the accused helped Pinochet hide $27 million of state money in US bank accounts. The former dictator died in 2006 while awaiting trial for human-rights abuses committed under his regime.

"No-one in Chile is above the law," Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said. The warrants have already led to the detention of Pinochet's widow and two of his children. Many indicted former military personnel have yet to be found. Pinochet's junta ruled Chile in 1973-90, during which more than 3,000 people were killed or "disappeared" at the hands of state forces. (More Augusto Pinochet stories.)