NEW INDICTMENT ISSUED BY SERIOUS CRIMES UNIT
Dili, 21 November 2002
The Serious Crimes Unit filed an indictment at Dili District Court on 19 November, charging 12 people for the murder of Verissimo Dias Quintas, the traditional king (Liurai) of Lospalos. The murder took place on 27 August 1999 in Lospalos town.
The 12 people are all charged with crimes against humanity: murder and persecution. They include the former district administrator (Bupati) of Lautem District, Edmundo da Conceicao Silva; two members of the Indonesian Special Forces (KOPASSUS), Rahman Zulkarnean and Syaful Anwar; members of the militia group Team ALFA, Tomas Da Costa, Inacio Oliveira, Joaquim Januario, Gilberto Fernandes, Anton Regu, Jose Da Costa, Lamberto Dos Santos; and members of BRTT (a pro-autonomy political organisation) Martinho Da Costa and Jose Solari.
The charges stem from an attack made on the residential compound of the Liurai, where the local office of the CNRT (the pro-independence political organisation) was also located.
The attack was carried out while a large number of CNRT supporters celebrated the end of the campaign period in the compound. Both the Liurai’s house and the CNRT office were burnt down in the attack and the Liurai was killed. The attack was carried out jointly by a group consisting of KOPASSUS, Team ALFA militia and BRTT members.
Of the 12 people charged, nine are believed to be at large in Indonesia. They include the former Bupati and both KOPASSUS members. Arrest warrants have been requested from the Dili District Court for all the people charged.
An arrest
warrant had already been issued, in February 2001, for Syaful Anwar (KOPASSUS)
for his involvement in the murder of an independence supporter in April
1999. One of the accused, Gilberto Fernandes, is currently serving a sentence
at Becora prison in Dili for his involvement in the same case.