IT
PAYS to be part of Timor Leste’s political elite; and it pays even more if you
are close to new Prime Minister Rui Araujo and former PM Xanana
Gusmao, particularly if you are facing corruption allegations.
In
fact, it pays to the tune of $US30,000 a month. Not bad when you
consider a Timorese family struggles to earn and live on a mere $US80 a
month.
But
former Finance Minister Emilia Pires, the hand picked favourite lady of Xanana
Gusmao, has just hit the jackpot again having been rewarded for her services to
Timor Leste by Prime Minister Araujo to the tune $US30,000 a month
for her "international advisory services”.
The
monthly service fees are seen by many Timor Leste insiders as a way of keeping
Pires quiet.
Pires'
controversial payday follows the killing of former commander and outspoken
anti-corruption campaigner Mauk Moruk, who was shot to death alongside a number
of his followers last month.
Moruk
long campaigned against the corruption of the former Gusmao government. Moruk’s
campaigning against Gusmao’s government peaked earlier this year when Gusmao
publicly said he wanted to kill Moruk and was willing to do it himself. Moruk’s
family is yet to receive the autopsy report form the Timor Leste government. It
is believed, despite being unarmed, he was shot in excess of 30 times by
security forces.
Whilst
former PM Gusmao got his way with Moruk’s fatal end; he also seems to have had
his way with Pires’ court appearance. Pires, who was forced to step down from
the troubled Gusmao government, after being charged by prosecutors has never
faced the courts.
Not
long after Pires was charged with corruption, Gusmao caused an international
legal stir by demanding the National Parliament sack foreign investigators and
judges. Once again Gusmao got his way.
The
move by Timor Leste’s Parliament was seen by foreign governments, international
investigators and judiciary as a way to stop the prosecution of the alleged
corrupt Ministers in the Gusmao government; as well as shutting down corruption
investigations under way into Gusmao's role as Prime Minister and the awarding
of contracts to family members and friends. Gusmao awarded family members with
hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts with his nephew Nilton Gusmao
controlling the majority of oil contracts in Timor Leste.
Many
believe the protection of Pires, and lucrative advisory role awarded to her by
the current PM is to protect former PM Gusmao and ensure she does not spill the
beans on the depth of ongoing corruption in Timor Leste.
International
legal experts and many governments are stunned at the news that Pires despite
being charged with alleged fraud has been brought back into the circle of Timor
Leste's “political elite” with a huge contract.
“It’s
a bewildering development and one that shocks many legal experts in Australia,
the U.S and Portugal,” one prominent Sydney human rights & international
relations lawyer said today. “Here we have a former Minister charged with
corruption; forced to stand down and who is now being paid a mammoth monthly
salary that would feed hundreds of families in Timor Leste,” she said.
“There
is little doubt neighbouring governments who have spent billions of dollars on
the restructure of Timor Leste over the past decade would have very good
information on the extended corruption that has gone on in Timor Leste since
2007 which includes not only corruption but also political murders, drug
running and under-age sex all of which is controlled by Timor Leste’s so-called
political elite.
“The
Australian, U.S and Portuguese governments have the evidence, but in many ways
are powerless to act, hoping that eventually honest politicians will rule Timor
Leste before it becomes a a ‘failed state’,” she adds.
“Unfortunately,
there is every likelihood that Timor Leste will be destroyed by corruption and
mismanagement as corrupt politicians and advisors rip the heart and all the
money out of Timor and transfer their ill-gotten gains offshore.”
The
Sydney based international lawyer believes Timor Leste has become a despotic
society run by a “Mafia-styled Don”.
“It’s
a disgrace that this small country that has been through so much is now being
raped and pillaged by the people, who are supposed to be protecting its
citizens and less fortunate,” she said.
“It’s
a free-for-all!” she adds.
"Everyone
is getting as many dollars as they can. In the meantime, the suffering of the
people continues through poverty, unemployment and poor health services. Timor
Leste is a disaster waiting to happen right on Australia’s doorstep.
“For
what it’s worth I call on the Foreign Minister of Australia Julie Bishop to
act! Surely, with the amount of Australian foreign aid given to Timor Leste
they can act. Surely..."
Many
Timor Leste insiders are calling Mauk Moruk’s death a “state sanctioned”
killing at the behest of the political elite. The United Nations, Human Rights
Watch and Amnesty International have been called on to investigate Moruk and
his followers death.
Meanwhile,
Timor Leste’s bid to become a member of ASEAN has taken a major hit over the
past 12 months following the sacking of the foreign judiciary; the
mismanagement of its economy; continued corruption allegedly from within the
government and the contented attempts to silence the media. Others say Timor
Leste would fit perfectly within the ASEAN environment due to the number of
corrupt governments already being members.
Attempts
were made to gain comment from the office of Timor Leste’s Prime
Minister on the latest Pires scandal. No comment was forthcoming.
*Editor’s
Note: The name of the lawyer has been protected as she continues to advise NGOs
in a number of countries surrounding Australia.
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