New Oecussi District Prosecutor promises to work closely with the community

UNMIT Weekly No. 76 February 2009 DILI - A new Prosecutor's office was inaugurated in Oecusse last Wednesday (4 February). Mr. Domingos Barreto became Oecussi’s first District Prosecutor. During his inauguration speech, Mr. Barreto promised to deal with the approximately 200 pending cases before the end of the year.

My message to the Oecussi community is that from now on, justice will be made here, in Oecussi, and not in Dili,” Mr. Barreto said, adding that his office would always be open to everyone in the district.

More than 150 people attended the ceremony which was highlighted by traditional dancing and the planting of several trees. Among the guests were the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) Takahisa Kawakami, Justice Minister Lucia Lobato, the National Prosecutor General Longuinos Monteiro, traditional community leaders and the Ambassadors of Indonesia, Australia, the United States and Brazil. DSRSG Kawakami stressed the important role of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Justice Program in Timor Leste in providing support to the justice system. He also urged the new District Prosecutor to address the frequent occurrences of domestic violence and sexual assaults, which Mr. Barreto promised that he would do.

We will work very closely with the community in order to make everyone understand his or her rights and obligations in the formal justice process,” the District Prosecutor said, encouraging people to come to his office for any kind of clarifications about the rights and duties of Timorese citizens.
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Image added by ETLJB: Map of the district of Oecusse, East Timor.