SECOND SERIOUS CRIMES PANEL TO BE ESTABLISHED
A second Special Panel for Serious Crimes will be established next month
under the office of the East Timor Prosecutor-General. The new panel will
have the same composition as the existing one with one East Timorese and
two international Judges.
The Special Panel for Serious Crimes has gathered and analysed 2,265
witness statements since the Panel was created a year ago.
In total, 31 indictments charging some 50 individuals have been submitted
to the Special Panel for Serious Crimes. Thirteen cases have been tried
to
date with 11 convictions, two dismissals at preliminary hearing and one
case completed at appellate level.
The Serious Crimes Panel has the exclusive right to try suspected
perpetrators of serious crimes committed between 1 January and 25 October
1999.
UNTAET's Serious Crimes Unit has so far undertaken 259 exhumations and
conducted 198 autopsies for serious crimes investigations.