East Timor MPs furious over leaked autopsy report

Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring 01 September 2008 Monday - East Timor MPs "furious" over leaked autopsy report

Text of report by website of independent Indonesian news magazine Tempo on 1 September 2008

[Article by Jose Sarito Amaral: "Parlemen Timor Leste Tolak Otopsi Reinado"]

Members of East Timor's National Parliament were furious over the results of Alfredo Reinado Alves' autopsy being leaked recently. The autopsy, which was carried out by an Australian forensic laboratory, found that Reinado was shot at close range. According to parliamentarians, only the East Timor's Attorney-General's Office had the authority to release the report.

They said that the document was property of the state, contained very specific information and was needed by the Prosecutor-General to continue investigations and for court proceedings. A CNRT [National Congress for the Reconstruction of East Timor] Party member, Aderito Hugo da Costa, believed that the report actually decreased the laboratory's reputation.

He understood that the report had also caused East Timor to lose confidence [in the laboratory] because, in line with the legal process, the results of the analysis should only have been publicised after the court proceedings.

"Hopefully, the report is not illegal and the media won't manipulate it," he said.

Cornelio Gama, a member of the UNDERTIM [the National Democratic Union of Timorese Resistance] Party, agreed with da Costa.

"In actual fact, it is East Timor that is responsible for analysing the shooting of Reinado. I think it is illegal for the Australian forensic laboratory to announce the results," said Gama, who is commonly referred to as L7.

Meanwhile, Prosecutor-General Longuinhos Monteiro denied that the report [had been leaked]. He stated that he had not seen it yet.