Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet has offered to pay $5 million in back taxes in hopes that his assets would be unfrozen, but government officials said on Monday that the courts would press on with embezzlement and tax evasion investigations. Courts in this South American nation have frozen $6.5 million in Pinochet's assets while investigating secret bank accounts that the 89-year-old retired general maintained off-shore. Pinochet, who ruled Chile from 1973-1990 also faces dozens of criminal complaints filed by human rights lawyers and relatives of people killed, kidnapped or tortured by his agents when he was in power. He has so far avoided trial on grounds of poor health. Government spokesman Patricio Santamaria told reporters on Monday that all Chilean tax payers have the right to settle their back taxes but he said "there is not any kind of negotiation," between Pinochet's defense and the government. Local newspapers reported over the weekend that Pinochet's lawyers met with tax officials to offer to pay the back taxes in order to try to free up his assets. --MORE 2341 Local Time 2041 GMT
