PM Gusmao: “Judicial system in Timor-Leste looks like the system during the time of Colonials and dictators”

Diario Nacional, March 14, 2011 language source: Tetun

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, said the judicial system in Timor-Leste seems like the system from the time of colonials and dictatorships.PM Gusmao made the statements, because many of his officials, such as Deputy Prime Minister for Social Issues, Jose Luis Guterres, Finance and Planning Minister Emilia Pires, Minister of Administration and Territorial Management Arcangelo Leite and Justice Minister Lucia Lobato have been accused of engaging in corruption.

“My age will reach 65 years old in June. I lived during the Portuguese, Indonesians up to this time and I am getting old. If we called the Portuguese time a colonial time and the Indonesian time a dictatorship time, then at this time we see that the colonial and dictatorship still exist,” PM Gusmao said.

PM Gusmao added that something had not gone right, because the court erased the name of Foreign Affairs Minister Zacarias Albano da Costa who was also believed to have engaged in abuse of power and later other people were accused such as Finance Minister Emilia Pires, Minister of Administration and Territorial Management, and Minister of Justice Lucia Lobato were accused to engaged in corruption.