26 October 2012

East Timor Legal News 25 October 2012

Immigration police arrest illegal immigrants and prostitutes in districts - The Director of the Immigration Police Unit, Superintendent Jose da Costa, was reported by Jornal Independente today as stating that the police have have arrested prostitutes in four of East Timor's thirteen districts; namely, Manatuto, Viqueque, Baucau and Lautem Districts.

The arrests were made during a joint operation between the police, customs, the Secretary of State for Professions and Unemployment and the Ministry of Tourism.

Da Costa said that "the aim of the joint operation was to reduce widespread public rumors that the immigration police were weak and had to work better to control illegal immigration and drugs in the country.weak to better control the illegal immigrants illegal drugs in the country," da Costa said.

Such rumours were reinforced by statements made by Members of Parliament such as MP Arao Noe de Jesus from National Congress for Timorese National Reconstruction (CNRT) who was reported by Diario Nacional as saying that although the police had arrested illegal immigrants in Timor-Leste, they still weak, therefore they would have to work harder to control foreigners.


In the meantime, however, as Suara Timor Lorosae reported today, the police, through the Criminal Investigation Process had been cooperating with a team from the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency to process the recent drugs smuggling case which involved four Indonesian citizens.

"We have cooperated with a team from BNN and the team has been here to see the process of the drug case, and I am calling on all Timorese citizens to cooperate with PNTL to continue the operation named Rasta because there are still other people who also bring drugs to Timor-Leste," he said.


See also Analysis of the Social Problem of Prostitution in East Timor.
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Parliament calls for investigation of police officer who threatened Government member - Suara Timor Lorosae reported today that the National Parliament has called on the police to investigate the threats made against a member of the government by a police officer (see East Timor Legal News 24 October 2012 for further details of this case)

"The investigation process will decide who is guilty in the case, therefore, the case needs to be investigated," PN member from the CNRT bench, Mateus de Jesus, said.
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UN car hits local man on motorbike; driver tries to flee - In another accident involving a UN staff case, a young man called Martinho Fernandes was hit on his motorbike in the Dili Suburb of Fatuhada on 23 October.

After the collsion, the driver of the UN vehicle (registration number 01.57), tried to flee the scene but many local residents who had witnessed the collisions began shouting at him and he eventually turned back and took Martinho to the national hospital for treatment for the injuries he sustained. Martinho's hand and hip were injured (and his laptop computer was damaged)

Related stories
UN police officer flees after collision
More reckless driving by UN staff in Dili results in yet another collision
Government and Parliament strongly condemn UN Staff who killed three Timorese in traffic collisions
Another traffic accident involving UN vehicle results in two deaths
People stone United Nations car after traffic accident leaves a Timorese boy dead
Police register 2010 cases of traffic accidents

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