Netherlands looks into Chile bribes allegations

Two Chilean military officials are being prosecuted for taking bribes for the sale of 202 Dutch tanks to Chile in 1998.

The Netherlands has asked Chile for more information about allegations that the Dutch defence firm RDM paid bribes to Chilean officials for the sale of Dutch tanks in 1998, a defence ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. It will then be determined whether a Dutch criminal investigation is warranted.

Two retired Chilean military officials are being prosecuted in Chile for accepting bribes in the sale of Dutch Leopard tanks to Chile. The allegations came to light as part of a 2004 investigation into the fortune of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

The transaction involved the sale of 202 Dutch tanks to Chile through the Dutch defence firm RDM to Chile for 63 million dollars. RDM admitted in 2005 that it deposited 1.6 million dollars in an account belonging to one of Pinochet's lawyers. The two military officials currently being investigated allegedly pocketed 600,000 dollars each of that amount as a commission.

Similar allegations already surfaced in 2005 and 2006. But the Dutch government at the time did not think the allegations warranted a criminal investigation in the Netherlands.