East Timor Legal News 21 April 2009

Justice Minister ready to respond to corruption allegations in court Radio Televisaun Timor Leste 22 April 2009 - Minister for Justice Lucia Lobato said she was ready to respond in court over the corruption allegations made by the national civil society organisation, LABEH and the Timorese Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman (PDHJ).

LABEH has found corruption within the Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman Office Radio Televisaun Timor Leste 22 April 2009 - Director for LABEH, Christopher Henry Samson, said his organisation had found a corruption case involving an officer of the Timorese Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman (PDHJ) in which the officer misused budget provided by the World Bank.

Parliament discusses law proposal to confer judicial powers on Members of Parliament Radio Televisaun Timor Leste 21 April 2009 - The Parliament started discussing in the generality draft law number 12 ­ 11 on giving judicial powers to the deputies for investigating any kind of criminal acts, says MP Vital dos Santos.

Let court do its task in assassination attempt case Suara Timor Lorosae 21 April 2009 - MP Estanislau da Silva from Fretilin said let the court do its job in processing the attempted assassination to President Jose Ramos Horta on February 11 last year and said the process of the case was ongoing and would be tried shortly.

Ivo Jorge Valente to resign from his post Suara Timor Lorosae 21 April 2009 - Deputy Prosecutor General Ivo Jorge Valente said he would resign from his current post as the country's politicians put their hands into the judicial system.

President Horta denies nominating Paulo Remedios Timor Post 22 April 2009 - President Jose RamosHorta has denied rumor-mongering that he nominated international jurist, Paulo Remeidos to become deputy prosecutor general replacing Ivo Jorge Valente.

Prosecutor General violates law Suara Timor Lorosae 21 April 2009 - MP Carmelita Caetano Moniz from the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) considersthat the actions of the Prosecutor General, Ana Pessoa urging President Horta to sack her and the Minister for Education, Joao Cancio Freitas, from the Board of Public Prosecutions was baseless.

Brazilian public defender general meets with Gusmao Radio Televisaun Timor Leste 22 April 2009 - Brazilian public defender general, Eduardo Flores Vieira has met with Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao to discuss cooperation in the field of justice.

Deputy Prime Minister needs great amount of money for combating corruption Timor Post 22 April 2009 - MP Fernando Gusmao Social Democratic Party (PSD) said in order to combat corruption in Government institutions, Deputy Prime Minister II Mario Viegas Carrascalao needed a great amount of money to help support processes of investigation into corruption.

MP calls for Mario Viegas Carrascalao to not only talk Suara Timor Lorosae 22 April 2009 - MP Aderito Hugo da Costa from the National Congress for the Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) called for Mario Viegas Carrascalao to not talk only about combating corruption within the Government’s institutions.

Appellate court president Ximenes meets with President Horta Radio Televisaun Timor Leste 21 April 2009 - The Court of Appeal President Claudio Ximenes has met with President Jose Ramos Horta to discuss the court's activities.

Government should increase numbers of personnel in office of public defender Radio Televisaun Timor Leste 21 April 2009 - Brazilian Public Defender, Eduardo Flores said the Timorese Government should add numbers of its public defender to better strengthen the country’s judicial system.