Zaldívar on Mirage case: "The Senate should have a political deliberation"

SANTIAGO.- In the face of a great deal of criticism for calling a special session for Friday of this week in order to address the Mirage case, the president of the Senate, Adolfo Zaldívar, has justified his decision by stating that “Air Force officials were not the only ones involved” in the payment of unauthorized commissions.

Furthermore, Zaldívar indicated that, “clearly, the question the entire country is asking itself is whether or not this commission on the purchase of weapons was discussed and, in the case that it was discussed, what criteria were established, and if not it is very concerning that  they show up today paying themselves a commission”.

Zaldívar stated that the irregular payments for the purchase of 25 Mirage Elkan aircrafts from Belgium in 1994 does not imply criminal responsibility, but indicated that there are also political representatives to be held responsible, and stressed the work the courts have done on the case, calling them “zealous and efficient”.