25 April 2010

Prosecutor Pessoa: It’s time to have a law on granting pardons

Timor Post, April 16, 2010 language source: Tetun -  The Timorese Prosecutor General, Ana Pessoa, has said Thursday that it is now time for the National Parliament to legislate law on pardon in order to give an end to extended discussion and disagreement on granting pardon to prisoners by the president of the Republic.

“We cannot argue whether it is based on law or not since the reality shows that there is no law (on granting pardon). So I think all of us should be calm not to politicize (pardon). It’s now the time to produce the law and I am in support of this,” the Prosecutor General said.

PG Pessoa said that it was important to implement law of pardon in the country, adding that pardon implemented from the first president up to this time was merely based on the Constitution.

In relation to the issue of pardoning Salsinha and his men, Pessoa said that justice should not be politicized

“We should not say that President Horta’s plan is not based on the law, and therefore all people should think about this case with calmly and should not police the fact,” PG Pessoa said.

Meanwhile, MP Carmelita Moniz from the National Congress for the Timorese reconstruction (CNRT) has said that the arguments of politician and lawyer had always been different because the lawyer has always talk based on the law but that is not the case with politicians.

MP Moniz has also called on all people to abide by law in order to guarantee democratic system in the country.

MP Moniz added that President Horta’s plan to give pardon to Salsinha was implemented based on social politic though it make people to lost their confidence in the judicial system in the country.

“I know well that the Timorese Constitution guarantee President Horta to give pardon to prisoners and it is not the first time for him to do so,” MP Moniz said.

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