East Timor Court of Appeal declares trial of former Criminal Investigation Unit Chief Invalid

East Timor's Court of Appeal

ETLJB 31/10/2014 (Translation from Tetum) Source: Notisias Online, Top News October 29, 2014 DILI – The Timor-Leste Court of Appeal has ruled that the conviction of the former Criminal Investigation Unit head Calisto Gonzaga by the Dili District Court was based on a mistrial and has ordered a new trial because the Dili District Court did not hear the testimony of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and Timor-Leste National Police Commander Longuinhos Monteiro.

According to Calisto Gonzaga’s defence counsel, Sergio Paulo Dias Quintas, on Tuesday 28 October 2014 the Court of Appeal annulled the conviction of the accused and sentence to 9 years jail by the Dili District Court.

The retrial will be for the court to receive the testimony of two witnesses listed by the defence side, one being PNTL Commander Longuinhos Monteiro and the other Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, Sergio told journalists during a press conference at the Public Defenders office in Kintal Bot last Wednesday (29-10-2014).

Defence counsel explained that the court will now be able to hear Calisto’s allegations that he was only following the government’s orders for him to act as he did, and therefor defence counsel believed that his client would be absolved in any retrial. The complete story may be found in STLs article on the web edition Thursday (30-10-2014). Timotio Gusmao/Domingas Gomes Source: http://suara-timor-lorosae.com/la-rona-deklarasaun-xanana-long-tr-konsidera-desizaun-tdd-ba-kazu-calisto-la-vale

See also
Court sentences former commander of criminal investigations to 9 years in prison