Court of Appeals denies bail for retired general Vega

SANTIAGO.- The second courtroom of the Santiago Court of Appeals has denied bail for the former  Commander in Chief of the Chilean Air Force, retired general Ramón Vega, as well as three other former high officials that have been arraigned on embezzlement charges related to the purchase of 25 Belgian Mirage planes in 1994.

With a two to one majority, the court voted that retired generals Ramón Vega, Jaime Estay and Florenio Dublé, as well as retired colonel Luis Bolton, constitute a danger to society and ordered that they remain in custody until the trial.

Vega has been detained since Monday of last week at the El Bosque Air Force Base after being charged with embezzeling public funds.  Authorities are currently investigating to find out whether the retired official received US$ 2,895,037 dollars in commission from the purchase of 25 Mirage aircrafts.

The other three former officials are currently being held in the same establishment after being charged as accomplices in the embezzlement of public funds.