De Mello lauds moves to try East Timor suspects
De Mello lauds moves to try East Timor suspects
JAKARTA (JP): Following the announcement of 19 suspects in the
East Timor case, several expressed hope that these would only be
the first of another batch of officials and officers to be named
in the case.
The head of the United Nations Transitional Authority in East
Timor (UNTAET) Sergio Vieiera de Mello went so far as to defend
possible criticism against the Attorney General's Office saying
that it is common in the judicial process to start from the
bottom up.
"I do not think we should hold it against the Attorney General
if all the names are not there yet. That is how the judicial
process is in these very serious crimes," de Mello told reporters
on Friday.
"In crimes against humanity we need to go from the bottom up.
The same thing happened in Rwanda, the same happened in former
Yugoslavia," he added.
"As far as we're concerned, this is only the beginning".
He further said that what is important now is to meet the hope
of the East Timorese to see those responsible for the mayhem
brought to court. The Indonesian government should be determined
in that endeavor, he added.
"The first list has come out. The next phase is the judicial
process. These person should be indicted and should be presented
to court here in Jakarta. I believe the Attorney General has
taken the proper steps," de Mello said.
De Mello asserted that UNTAET will always support the Attorney
General's Office in its efforts to solve the case. He remarked
that the seriousness of Jakarta in this endeavor, which can be
seen from the announcement, will only weaken the call for an
international tribunal.
Meanwhile Adrianus Meliala, secretary of the expert team
helping the investigation into the East Timor cases, said
Friday's announcement of "only" 19 suspects was possibly made to
pacify public sentiment about the case.
He said there is a possibility of others being named as
suspects.
"Considering that the investigation must be finished on the
deadline of Oct. 17, the investigation team had to make the
announcement," he told the Post, referring to the three-month
deadline.
The investigation began in April and, according to the law,
can last for three months with only one extension allowed.
"It's likely that several other names are still being kept by
the investigation team to buy some time while strengthening
arguments to apprehend them," he remarked.
Adrianus said by naming the 19 as suspects, prosecutors have
the power to intensively interrogate them under oath, which may
also reveal evidence to incriminate other offenders.
"Their testimonies can drag in other names that have yet to be
announced as suspects," he said.
Later in the day, former justice minister Muladi called on the
House to speed up the deliberation of the human rights tribunal
bill to pave the way for the establishment of an ad hoc East
Timor trial.
He told a law seminar that any further delay could create an
impression that the government is unwilling to bring those
responsible in the East Timor violence to justice.
The bill currently being deliberated in the House of
Representatives is expected to be passed before the end of
September.
It includes an article on the possible establishment of an
adhoc tribunal with punishment varying from three years to life
imprisonment.(rms/bby/dja)