CONSUL GENERAL'S MEETING WITH JUDGE INVESTIGATING

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 002539 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CASC PHUM CI SUBJECT: CONSUL GENERAL'S MEETING WITH JUDGE INVESTIGATING WEISFEILER CASE REF: SANTIAGO 1847 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) The Consul General met December 19 with Judge Jorge Zepeda to discuss the investigation of the 1985 disappearance of American citizen Boris Weisfeiler, which is part of a broader investigation of human rights abuses and other criminal conduct at the German religious colony formerly known as Colonia Dignidad (other aspects of the investigation will be reported SEPTEL). This religious community, now known as Villa Baviera, is located several hours south of Santiago. Zepeda stated that the investigation of Colonia Dignidad is in its final phase and he hopes to conclude it by the end of January. He reported that to date he has not come across any references to Weisfeiler in any of the thousands of documents discovered during the course of the investigation nor found any other evidence to suggest that Weisfeiler had ever been at Colonia Dignidad. ¶2. (SBU) Zepeda said that he has a number of informants (testigos reservados) within the colony who have provided accurate information about various sensitive topics during the investigation -- including the location of buried weapons and documents -- but that none had provided any information about Weisfeiler. He said this omission was likely significant since several of the informants would have been in a position to know if someone like Weisfeiler, a foreigner, had been at the colonia. ¶3. (U) Still, Zepeda added that he has reviewed the records of the original 1985 investigation and that he was convinced that a number of significant investigative leads were not properly pursued. For example, he cited an interview in the court records of a local man who was found in possession of Weisfeiler's drivers license, in which police did not ask elemental questions such as how he had come to be in possession of the document. Zepeda implied that Colonia Dignidad's political influence in the area at the time might have influenced the course and thoroughness of the investigation. He said that he has assigned his two best investigators to focus intensively on the Weisfeiler case, conducting what he described as a complete top-to-bottom review of all available documentation and evidence, including the records all previous investigations. ¶4. (SBU) Zepeda said that Colonia founder Paul Schaffer, currently under arrest on child abuse charges, has been specifically asked about Weisfeiler, but that he has refused to answer questions or otherwise cooperate on this or any other aspect of the investigation. ¶5. COMMENTS. (U) In our several meetings with Judge Zepeda over the past months we have emphasized to him the importance of the Weisfeiler case to Mr. Weisfeiler's family, to this Embassy, and to the United States government. We have provided Mr. Weisfeiler's sister Olga with a read-out on the portions of the meeting with Zepeda relevant to the investigation of his disappearance. END COMMENT. KELLY