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