FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE
FRETILIN
FRETILIN
Media Release
10 August 2007
New Justice Minister interferes with Court Order
FRETILIN today condemned the action of the new Justice Minister of
Timor Leste, Ms Lucia Lobato, for her interference on Wednesday
afternoon (8 August) to block a court order allowing for jailed former
Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato to go to Malaysia for heart surgery.
"FRETILIN in government never interfered with the justice system when
Rogerio Lobato, a senior FRETILIN figure, was arrested, tried,
sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison, and failed to win his
appeal," said FRETILIN parliamentarian and Australian trained lawyer
Jose Teixeira today.
"Yet on day one of the new government, there is gross abuse of the
judiciary. The new government should continue the previous
government's practice of strict respect for the independence of the
judiciary," said Mr Teixeira.
"We also condemn international media reports that this court order was
a 'deal' to allow Mr Lobato to 'escape'. This spurious allegation
continues the wild anti-FRETILIN spin in the international media this
week.
"The media reports neglect the fact that the court order to allow
Lobato to leave was handed by a judge, the very same judge who had
convicted Lobato previously, after three international doctors,
including an Australian doctor, had advised that he required heart
surgery which is not available here in Timor-Leste.
"Mr Lobato is a prisoner in the jurisdiction of Timor Leste and must
return after the heart surgery," Mr Teixeria concluded.
For more information, please contact:
Jose Teixeira (+670) 728 7080, FRETILIN Media (+670) 733 5060 or send
an email to fretilin.media@gmail.comwww.timortruth.com,
www.fretilin-rdtl.blogspot.com