Famed chefs quizzed in ETA probe

Two of Spain's most renowned chefs walked free from the High Court without charge yesterday after facing questions over allegations they paid protection money to the armed Basque separatists ETA.

Juan Mari Arzak, a Basque cook regarded by many as the father of modern Spanish cuisine, appeared with fellow Michelin-starred chef Pedro Subijana for some 45 minutes in an investigation which has stirred outcry in Spain.

"Here we are, free, and we are going home," the moustachioed Subijana told a media throng on the steps of the courthouse. "We are cooks, we are good people who devote ourselves to making others happy and we ask for a bit of respect."

Public prosecutors decided not to present formal charges against the pair for allegedly financing ETA after a suspected member of the outlawed group told the investigating judge last week they paid €36,000 each in "revolutionary tax".

Under Spanish law, the chefs had to appear in court to answer questions before the judge could decide if any charges were to be brought against them. The judge allowed the chefs to walk free without bail but he has not yet dropped the investigation against them.

ETA extorts the "tax" from businesses in the Basque country to bankroll its bloody campaign for an independent state in north Spain and southwest France. A conviction for paying protection money to ETA could mean a lengthy prison sentence.