21 July 2012

Police Officer Accused of Killing Student Suspended

21 July 2012 Jornal Independente By: Raimundo Oki and Manuel da Silva - DILI: A police officer believed to have shot dead a student on Monday has been suspended, according to police chief Longuinhos Monteiro.

The policeman was suspended on Tuesday and would face further investigation, he said.

Armindo Pereira Soares was killed on Monday morning on a street in Hera, Dili, after being beaten.

"I have suspended him (the policeman). He has not come to work for two days," he said.

Commander Monteiro said his institution had a duty to control any violence.

Meanwhile, a police station in sub-district Uatulari, Vikeke district, was destroyed after an unknown group attacked it on Wednesday at 9:30am, district operational commander Eduardo Campos said yesterday.

No one was injured in the incident which he believed was sparked by the death of Mr Soares, Mr Campos said.

His police were searching those who involved in Wednesday's crime.

"Unknown youths attacked (the police station). We are searching for them," Mr Campos told Independente by phone.

The culprits would be arrested and brought to justice, he said.

A defence force team had been sent to Vikeke on Wednesday afternoon to support the police.

Altogether 62 people, including seven police members, were injured and 71 vehicles were destroyed in the violence on Sunday night and Monday morning.

The Deputy president of the Timor-Leste National Youth Council, Maria Dadi S. Magno, called on Timorese youth to contribute to peace and stability.

She asked political parties not to use Timorese youth for their party's interest.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of State for Agriculture Marcos da Cruz's vehicle was stoned in Komoro yesterday.

The incident happened at 11:30am when Mr da Cruz was on his way to his office in Kaikoli after meeting with Agriculture Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino Lopes.

The vehicle's left window was broken.

Mr da Cruz told Independente that he did not see who threw stones at his car, which broke the vehicles left window, but he was not injured.

Mr da Cruz said violence did not help the country's stability.

He has reported the case to police.

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