Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, who is also the Minister of Interior, summoned this Monday morning, at his residence in Farol Neighbourhood, the Vice Minister of Interior, António Armindo, the General Commander of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL), Police Commissioner Faustino da Costa and the Second General Commander of the PNTL, Police Commissioner Mateus Fernandes, to try to get a better understanding of the reasons that led to the double homicide in West Lahane, last Saturday, involving a PNTL officer, which resulted in the death of a father and son, and also a seriously injured man. This meeting also aimed to gather more information about the security situation in the country, and especially in Dili.
“His Excellency the Prime Minister, as you know, is also the Minister of Interior. This meeting was requested by the Prime Minister’s Office, inviting me, the General Commander of the PNTL and the Second General Commander of the PNTL, to come and present the security situation in the country, mainly in Dili, and also about the situation of the homicide that occurred last June 5th, in West Lahane”, said the Vice Minister of Interior.
In his turn, the General Commander of the PNTL, Faustino da Costa, said that regarding the homicide in West Lahane, the PNTL General Command has already taken measures against the PNTL element involved, having started both an administrative process and a criminal process. “The processes are already underway. Once again, what is the competence of the Command, of the State Institution, administratively, has already been applied to this element. In addition, in order to have transparency in this case, the PNTL has immediately coordinated with the Scientific Police for Criminal Investigation (PCIC), which handles these cases, both in relation to the perpetrator of the homicide and the weapons that the suspect used. The PCIC will conduct the ballistic examination and submit the results to this process. So, administratively our first action is directed to this member, and secondly we will also proceed administratively in relation to other parties involved in the case, in order to respond to this situation.”
The PNTL Commissioner also called for a distinction to be made between an individual element and the Institution, and also called for the society to continue to have confidence in the PNTL Institution, as an Institution of the State and the entire people, which was created to safeguard the security of the people, and to ensure law and order.
The PNTL Commissioner promised that the PNTL Command will make every effort to correct these failures, and stressed that he will not tolerate any element or commander being involved in similar cases. “There must be changes, we must have cohesion in the institution. It is no longer the first time. It happened in Tasitolu, Taibessi and now in Lahane. So the Command will no longer tolerate any officer or Commander failing to implement the PNTL rules. That means there will be consequences”. END