East Timor President says whole society has "corrupt mentality"

TMR. Image credit: Demotix

ETLJB 19/06/2014 - According to report in the media outlet Jornal Independente, the President of East Timor, Taur Matan Ruak, has said that the whole of East Timorese society has a "corrupt mentality"; not only at the higher levels of society but at the community level as well.

"Many times when I visit communities, I hear people questioning me about the higher level people all being corrupt, but in truth the whole of society has a corrupt mentality.

Although there has been some change,s the perception is that all high level people in our society are corrupt," the head of state said at the Presidential Palace at Aitarak Laran, recently.

He gave the example of some veterans who falsified personal histories to claim money from the state, the elderly who falsify documents to received the pension, some students who falsify their records to get their diplomas, those who sell fish and meat who manipulate prices to get more profits, and because of this, corruption does not only occur at high levels, but also at the grassroots.

"It is our society that has a corrupt mentality, and not just high level people," the PR said. Source: (Translation from  Tetum) Jornal Independente Thursday 22 May 2014 Edited by Warren L. Wright