Santander's Botin in dock over fraud charges

[emad]

Richard Wachman, city editor
Sunday January 23, 2005
The Observer

Emilio Botin, boss of Spanish banking colossus Santander, which took over Abbey National last year, will be accused in a Madrid court this week of misappropriating company funds.

Botin, who vigorously denies the charge, is accused of illegally awarding severance packages totalling £117 million to two former executives of Banco Central Hispano Americano, which merged with Santander six years ago.

Botin also faces allegations that he falsified documents to help clients to evade taxes in the late Eighties, but a trial date for that case has not been set. Botin denies all charges.

Both criminal prosecutions are being brought by an association of shareholders led by Rafael Perez Escolar, a former executive of Banesto, another Spanish bank, which collapsed before being bought by Santander. Escolar was imprisoned for his role in the Banesto affair.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,1396376,00.html

DID PINOCHET have any accounts at Santander, maybe feeders for those he holds in Riggs?