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LATE CHILEAN DICTATOR Augusto Pinochet left all his worldly goods to his family, according to his will, which was made public today as part of a probe into the fortune he amassed in office.
When Pinochet died in 2006, aged 91, a legal investigation was ongoing into the whereabouts of an estimated $26 million (just over €20 million) that he had squirreled away, most of it believed to be hidden in scores of foreign bank accounts.
Pinochet, whose 17-year military dictatorship began with a 1973 coup, was never sentenced for the rampant abuses committed under his iron-fisted regime, during which an estimated 3,000 people were killed or went missing.
About $20 million (€15.9 million) of his fortune is thought to sit in bank accounts outside the country, with the rest either held as property or as cash in Chile.
The State Defense Council (CDE), the agency responsible for the legal defense of the Chilean state, had asked that the will be opened to pay off tax debts and future compensation for victims of his dictatorship.
A judge in April approved the request and ordered the will to be opened, rejecting requests from his family, which had asked that the document remain private.
The late dictator’s relatives claim to be struggling financially and his youngest daughter Jacqueline said in a recent interview that she had had to sell her jewellery and furniture in order to survive.
As the probe has uncovered Pinochet’s accounts, several have been frozen at the request of the Chilean state and it remains unclear if the family or the victims of his regime will end up getting most of the inheritance.
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One decent man is that man Mr Dunne.Very generous to his employees at Dunnes Stores when he was at the helm, unlike now when the money is still rolling in but the wealth is no longer shared.
Ben there. Dunne that. Bought the Taoiseach.
He was very generous to other people as well, very generous to one on particular .
Monty I hope you have the TM on that, that’s excellent!
They fear his honesty, don’t want to be named as a generous receiver of gifts and you know longer buy one get one free these days?
Why are the media letting those that ruined our country and landed us with huge insufferable taxes off the hook and still banging on about petty Individual crimes…. Report on those that bankrupt us. Or come out and say why you aren’t.
Montys.. Phenomenal.
I have a lot of time for Ben Dunne he fecked up in the past but came back put the head down and went to work- created a lot of jobs even in recessionary times. I wish him well.
Howeya Wardy!
He had the decency to apologise to Mary Manning a few years ago.
Typical Irish love the irish rogue bullshit from all above. The man is complicit in the corruption that we are experiencing now and for the future. Cop the fcuk on you idiots.
Maybe you should do something about it Andrew instead of name calling!!
i did business with ben dunne in the 80′s and he was an outstanding person in every regard and ALWAYS paid in full and on time …… tough and fair and a brilliant retailer
Coke?
Is the woman in the photo Miriam O’ Callaghan?!
Given that the article is based on an interview he gave to Miriam, I would say it’s quite likely that, yes, it is Miriam in the photo.
Well she looks 20 years older than she normally looks!
Sure none of us are as young as we once were.
I defo still would.
Sorry but she looks granny old in that photo, no thanks.
No I’m fairly sure it’s Miss Panti …..
I would. She has 8 kids so she is partial to it. Fair play to her!
I was wondering was it actually Miriam or was it Ben Dunnes wife, Jesus she’s put on ten years in the last coupl of months!
Ah lads stop now! She is a fine looking woman and if my wife is as fit as her in 15 years time I’ll be a fairly happy camper. She has always been at the top of my cougar list!
I saw Miriam a few weeks ago when I was in the audience of Prime Time. She’s not so attractive in the flesh. Granny like. She had to be centre of attention when off camera & flirting with anyone who’d bid her the time of day. No longer a fan…. And god help David McCullagh
I dont like that he buys politicians. I also dont like that politicians can be bought.
I suppose he done us some service by being open about it. And now we know how rotten things are. What can i say about Ben. Thanks Big Fella.
Oxford Dictionary definition of corruption “Dishonest”.
All our politicians are corrupt — Rabbit is the one who admits it.
@mindfullirish you must be talking about Fianna Fail ,Fianna Gael and The Gilmore party for sure.
Given what he said in the article, “The great thing about all of this is that none of them ask me for money, I must be the only businessman in Ireland.” this implies that all our politicians haven’t changed and all are still on the take – just not from ben Dunne.
There mightn’t be as many blown envelopes changing hands these days but there is just as much corruption out there, look at cowans latest appointment, rabbitte is one of the most corrupt of them all at the moment he is being lobbied in so many different directions at this stage he doesn’t know who is friend or who is foe.
In fairness, Ben Dunne is a far more fascinating character than his radio ad voice might suggest.
“If Ben can’t do it then it can’t be Dunne”, agh cracks me up every time, gas man.
Any chance of a line, Ben?
pathetic
Ben Dunne allegedly drove up the price for corrupt politicians.
In the pre Celtic Tiger years it was allegedly a grubby little field on the outskirts of town for a brown envelope stuffed with twenties…
Post the boom and bust it is suggested that you could have the whole country and three generations for a mere EU gilt edged pension pot, …..if your already morally bankrupt.
Makes a sad shadow of that great slogan…
Dunnes Stores Better value beats them all every day.
Driving down prices every day!
Monty, have to agree. Close the comments now we’re Dunne.
(with Stephen Kavanagh)
He gave money to Haughey then got caught trying to stick Charlie up his nose….ya couldn’t write it.
Not corrupt just a bit of a rouge Ben
Ben dunne..nice guy..runs a good gym..miriam kicks ass..id be in there
Like the proverbial snot of hot..
Two reasons why Ben Dunne can say he’s not corrupt is first because he didn’t understand the meaning oof the word and second because he’s now using the present tense.
Pure gentleman mr Dunne, he was a fabulous boss in dunnes stores
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