MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile close spying incident.

Three Chilean military that last November were caught red-handed spying in the Punta Arenas Argentine consulate were ceased by the Chilean Army according to reports from the local press.

A fourth suspect from the Air Force was sentenced to twenty days in prison which virtually means the end of his military career.

The decisions emerged from an administrative inquiry ordered by the Military Region of southern Chile following orders from Defence Minister Michelle Bachelet. The inquiry stated that Lieutenant Colonel Victor Hugo Poza, Mayor Rodrigo Acuña Delano and corporal Luis Robles Ricus, all from the Army, and Air Force Corporal Jaime Espinoza Catalán had committed "a most serious non fulfilment of their military duties".

Actually Lieutenant Colonel Poza was dismissed from the Army the day following the November 9 incident.

All four have also undergone military justice sentencing according to General Luis Clavel, who said the administrative case "was closed".

On Sunday November 9 last year the Argentine Deputy Consul Jose Andres Basbus surprised two individuals in the Consulate office who managed to escape but left behind IDs, jackets, gun licences and other objects.

A few hours later the Chilean government announced destitution from the Army of Lieutenant Colonel Poza who was head of Military Intelligence in the Austral Military Region and the acceptance of General Aldo Sauritz Sepulveda resignation, commander of the military region.

That same day Chilean president Ricardo Lagos contacted Argentine president Nestor Kirchner and informed him of the decisions taken involving the incident.