CHILEANS INJECT CIA INTO LETELIER SLAYING PROBE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00901R000700060103-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 17, 2005
• Sequence Number: 103
• Publication Date: October 18, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

ARTICLE APP AAREI) WASHrIGTON STAR (GREEN LINE)
18 OCTOBER i978
waSninaw?s&Usu.umitn j Chilean secret police, and a Chilean !'a massive documentation sent to the Chilean Su-
bject . Into
-Prob.el
teller Slaying
Officials of the government, of ','army, captain. Armando Fernandez preme Court last month by Propper as part of a
Chile and defense attorneys in the Larios, in Asuncion.. Paraguay,' request for extradition of the three Army officers
Letelier murder case have raised thei where they used Paraguayan pass- accused in the Letelier murder: Gen. Manuel Con-
of CIA involvement a ent is the ' ports to obtain U.S. visas. - - .. treras Sepulveda, retired chief of the DINA secret
issue,
of CI inv .lvement in Deg ' Since Propper and Cornick- had police; Col. Pedro Espinoza. operations chief, of
a
ss
assassina n. Bu the suggestions passport photos of Townley and Fer-- DINA; and Fernandez, who came to the United
'` and unt rue.. . ; nandez, they are sure the use of the States, the U.S. government alleges, to shadow Le-
ridiculous
ridi two Chilean. captains was an attempt , telier in order to -chart his movements a few days
.have Chilean Le-
Ch mentioned the government ottleials former CIA twice to hide the identities of those accused before a bomb killed him in his car.
director, Gen. Vernon A. Wa of plotting and carrying out, the Sept. In his statement Walters told the FBI that the
deputy ?n, dircector, a with the, Wcas@il alt.. .21.1978..murder of Letelier and a col. 'purpose of his journey to Paraguay was "totally
league. Ronni Moffitt. .. unrelated to- the Letelier case and completely
though not specifically charging any apart from either Chile or Letelier."
connection between him and the PROPPER AND Cornick refused
bomb-murder In Washington of to comment on the new twist in the JUSTICE DEPARTMENT officials said yester-
Orlando Letelier? an exiled Chilean case, but it was learned that one of day, in response to questions, "The Department of
leftist. the two. captains with false names Justice has become aware that certain elements in
. And. in response to charges by said under questioning March 24 that Chile are attempting to raise smokescreens that
attorneys for three'of the five Cuban their mission in August 1978 to the-4 Townley is CIA and therefore that there has to be
exiles indicted in the case, the United .. United States was to see Walters.,! " -
States admitted in court filed The other said the had come to CIA involvement."
papers Y Chilean officials have had Walters' statement
yesterday that. Michael. V. Townley deliver- documents to the Chilean' since July 1978, well before the arrival there of the
made "two unrelated contacts" with Embassy here. extradition documents, and know there is no truth
the CIA in Florida "a number of ' Walters is traveling and could not to allegations about him. Justice Department offi-
years a.ga." Townley has been con- ieSpachedforcomment. _-. ,~ cialssaid.
victed of conspiracy in the case and{ However. In rune he gave FBI. } , Two Townley-CIA connections,' hitherto unre-
is cooperating with the prosecutors agents here a deposition saying. that ported, came to light yesterday in court docu.
The first mention of Walters: was
made in March in Santiago, Chile,.
when Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene
M. Propper and two FBI agents'. Car-:
ter Cornick and Robert Scherrer,
were questioning- two Chilean army
officers about. their role in the Le.,,
teliercase. .? t
.THE SECOND mention was. fast'
week when Chilean Ambassador Jose
Miguel Barros hinted that it might be.
interesting to find out why Waitem
went to Paraguay early is July 1978:.'
Walter's departure from. the CIA,
was announced in April 1978::.:
The, two Chilean army captains,
whose real names were nordisclosed
by sources here, were the ones
presented to Propper and his investi-
gative team by; the Chilean govern-
'
"
and
.
meat as ..Juan- Williams Rose
,7'Alejandro Romeral:' ? ,
Approved For .Release 20.05/07/0.1 CIA-RDP01-0090180007000601034'
U.$_;government said, by the Amen-.
can, Townley, Wes a member of the ' The Walters statement. it was learned, is part of !
case and had had no contact with the Attorney E. Lawrence 13arcelia.
Chilean officers.- I In their reply to motions filed by attorneys for
. In his statement, which was taken .', the three Cuban exiles awaiting trial in the Le-
by the FBI at the request of the Chi teller case. the prosecutors. acknowledged that
lean government, Walters denied any Townley had two contacts with the CIA in Florida
knowledge or contact with: the offI- that they said were unrelated to the Letelier affair.
cers. And he said that suggestions of A footnote to the prosecutors' reply said:
some suspicious purpose to his trip to "The defendants state in their motion that 'the
the Paraguayan capital. were "ridic- prosecutor has admitted that Townley had contact'
., .~ with the CIA at Langley.' This is simply not true.
WOW."
In response to a question by counsel for the defend-
WALTERS'- TRIP' to:. Paraguay ants 'regarding Michael Townley's contacts with
was -'a-, private. visit? government the CIA, the prosecutors informed. counsel that a
sources said. They said the timing of.. number of years ago, Townley had two unrelated
Walters" arrival there - Just'a few contacts with the CIA in Florida. ,
weeks -before- Townley and ?Fer
nandez. obtained the U.S. visas. with "ON ONE OCCASION in 1'970 or 1971, Mr. Towne
falsified Paraguayan passports on ley contacted the CIA to ask if they were inter
July 27. 1976 was unrelated to the ested in the fact that he would be traveling to Chile
Letelier case. -But one official ac-
knowledged. that the timing was an
unfortunate coincidence: 4:- -