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Chile's former Air Force chief detained on embezzlement
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-01-20 11:45
SANTIAGO -- Ramon Vega, a former commander of the Air Force of Chile, was detained on Monday on charges of embezzling nearly $3 millionin a case called "Mirage".

According to official sources, Ramon Vega, who is detained in the air base El Bosque, is accused of taking nearly $3 million in a government deal to buy Mirage fighter jets from Belgium between 1992 and 1994 when he headed the Air Force.

Three other senior military officials were also detained and accused of receiving commissions between 60,000 and 65,000 dollars.

Local media quoted Vega's defense counsel Luis Cifuentes as saying on Monday that his client is "calm" for the decision "since he is innocent," and he would request provisional liberty.

Judge Omar Astudillo summoned the defense counsels of Vega and other three accused on Monday.

Alfredo Larreta and Rodrigo Reyes from the Council of Defense of the State, who are the appellants in this investigation were also called in by the judge.

In 1994, Chile paid Belgium $109 million for 25 Mirage Elkan planes. However, Belgium only received $70 million , since the rest of the money was paid to a company in charge of remodeling the planes, which allegedly was given to the militaries as commissions.

Vega is also accused of having hidden his relation with Bernard van Meer, a son-in-law of Vega, who was the main booster of the deal and has confessed to having received $2.7 million as commissions.