Pérez Yoma claims he was unaware of irregular commission payments on Mirage planes

SANTIAGO.- While manifesting his “complete willingness” to respond to any questions posed by Minister Omar Astudillo between today and tomorrow, the head of the Ministry of Interior, Edmundo Pérez Yoma, asserted that he was unaware of any information indicating that there had been an irregular commission payment on the purchase of 25 Mirage airplanes, which was approved while he was the head of Defense in 1994.

“(I don’t have) any information, except what has come out recently in the newspapers”, Pérez Yoma stated upon return from his vacation.  The Minister of Interior also indicated that he had “no idea” that a relative of the then Air Force Commander in Chief, Ramón Vega, had participated in the purchase.

This was the justification Peréz Yoma gave for the fact that he did not revoke the decision to purchase the 25 Mirage planes while he was the Minister of Defense during the administration of Eduardo Frei.

Furthermore, the minister “absolutely” denied having participated in any kind of unauthorized transaction.  “I have not participated in any transaction like that, except for the execution of a contract that was overseen by the Air Force and reached in accordance with the normal regulations”, he assured.