Sixth Country Freezes Noriega’s Estimated $20 Million in Assets
WASHINGTON — Authorities in six nations have frozen $20 million in “liquid assets” associated with deposed Panamanian Gen. Manuel A. Noriega, the Justice Department said today.
Austria became the sixth country to freeze bank accounts associated with Noriega, said David Runkel, a spokesman for the attorney general. The action was taken at the request of the United States, he said.
Runkel also doubled his previous estimate--from $10 million to $20 million--of money in the various bank accounts that the U.S. government believes is associated with illegal drug activity by Noriega.
The five other countries where bank accounts associated with Noriega have been frozen are France, Switzerland, West Germany, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom, Runkel said.
“These are liquid assets--mostly bank accounts,” Runkel told reporters.
The American invasion of Panama produced a number of documents that have aided in the investigation of Noriega’s assets.
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