Longuinos Monteiro (PNTL Commander) Involved in Cover Up Over Missing Weapons

PNTL Commander Longuinos Monteiro training for community policing.

The Timorese National Police are still losing weapons and the President of the Republic has raised his concerns with the Secretary of State for Security Fransisco Guterres. President Taur Matan Ruak has asked Francisco Guterres to instruct PNTL to recover the recently missing FNC semi automatic assault rifle without delay.

General Lere Anan Timor Chief of the Defence Force F-FDTL

General Lere Anan Timor Chief of the Defence Force has publicly called for the immediate dismissal of the police commander responsible for losing weapons. Lere has stated that "the PNTL member must punished for his mistake, if this happen in FDTL the soldier must be sacked immediately".

Tempo Semanal has learned that the PNTL Commander Longuinos Monteiro has not been truthful over the matter of his police service losing weapons and associated disciplinary matters.  He has stated in media and press conferences that the officer responsible has been suspended two weeks ago but it has only happened 3 days ago, and the officer in question retains access to government assets.  Citizens may contact Monteiro on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/longuinhos.monteiro

Tempo Semanal has reported previously on this issue on 9 August 2012 here, and on 11 August 2012 here.

The FNC rifle in question was held by the PNTL Intelligence Unit Commander, Octavio Araujo, in PNTL HQ in Dili.

Tempo Semanal broke the story in 9 August 2012 and it has been picked up be all Timorese media since.

Since then the PNTL commissioner Longuinos Monteiro has told the public that Mr. Octavio Araujo has been under investigation and suspended from his post. But Tempo Semanal has learned that this is not truthful or factual. 

Monteiro told media and public that the missing weapons was not of concern, and that he was conducting investigations.

Mr. Araujo only received a suspension letter on 22 August signed by the PNTL Commissioner.  But Tempo Semanal PNTL sources state that “Mr. Octavio Araujo was suspended from his post on Tuesday this week after getting the suspension letter from the General Commander. But he still has his Government mobile phone and his official car,” said a senior PNTL commander who asked Tempo Semanal not to name him.

Tempo Semanal found that on the evening that Mr. Octavio Araujo "lost" is FNC rifle he was driving his Operational Commander vehicle with number plate 16.002.

According to eyewitnesses in the Indonesian Food Bar, they told Tempo Semanal that Mr. Araujo came to the bar with a Timorese woman  "The car was park here inside this place but we didn’t see he had an FNC rifle. He was drunk. Maybe the gun was in the car I don’t know,” said a person familiar with the bar.

The PNTL considers the woman a suspect in the lost or stolen weapon and PNTL has conducted an investigation but have today discovered that the suspect has fled country to Indonesia soon after the investigation became apparent.

“Some PNTL officers has came to the house today with notification papers but the Ms A. has left for Indonesia,” said neighbor of the suspect to Tempo Semanal.

In the mean time the investigation inside PNTL has not started yet said a source close to the Investigation Commander unit in PNTL headquarter Dili. According to Tempo Semanal sources Mr. Jorge Monteiro, Commander of Internal Investigations, has yet to decide to investigate the suspended PNTL member.  Mr. Monteiro is himself a suspect in many previous cases of police misconduct.

When Tempo Semanal asked a PNTL officer from the Investigation Unit if a police suspect had fled to Indonesia he responded by saying that they could not find her.


The weapon is presumed to be with Timorese civilians but PNTL officers are blaming one another for the the weapon's loss due to competing interests among PNTL officers for the position of General Commander.

Tempo Semanal sources indicate that current Police Commissioner Longuinous Monteiro is viewed as being ineffective and incompetent by political leadership.

Desmobilizasaun Eis Falintil iha Loron Falintil 2011

Tempo Semanal-Dili, 19.08.2011

Tuir Lista ne’ebe komisaun organizadora ba Demobilizasaun Falintil iha loron 20/08/2011 dekreta katak veteranus das Falintil ne’ebe sei moris hamutuk nain 236 sei tuir prososu desmobilizasaun. Iha lista naruk ne'eba numeru dahuluk okupa husi Komandante En Xefe das Falintil, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao.

Okupa iha kategoria superior hamutuk nain lima hanesan Kay rala xanana Gusmao, Mahunu, Taur Matan ruak, Lu-Olo ho Lere Anan Timur. Mosu pro ho kontra kona ba pozisaun Xanana ninian hanesan ho membru da rezistencia ninian nain hat seluk tan ba tuir obervadores ninia haree Xanana presiza hetaan pozisaun aas liu membru sira seluk tan ba nia maka hanesan komandante en xefe.

Desizaun ne’ebe hola husi Governasaun Xanana ninian ne’e la justu hodi foo fitun haat hanesan de’it ho ninia elementus nain haat seluk. Husi elementus nain hat ne’e mos balun haat ona sira nia preokupasaun maibe too ohin publiku mos seidauk hatene.

“Ha’u hanoin devia desizaun ne’e hola iha Konsellu de Ministru no se karik PM Xanana maka halo desizaun atu nia mos hetaan fitun haat entaun ne’e iha komplitu de interese ida. Ou se karik Konsellu de Ministru maka hola desizaun ne’ebe dehan Xanana mos hetaan fitun haat hotu entaun Konsellu de Ministrus la hatene istoria,” dehan membru F-FDTL ne’ebe husu atu labele publika ninian naran.

Eis membru Falintil ne’e lamenta ho desizaun husi Governu ninian hodi koloka PM xanana hanesan ho ninia membru. Iha parte seluk eis veteranus Falintil ida ne’ebe mos desmobiliza hotu iha loron Falintil ba dala tolu nolu resin nen ne’e dehan, “ha’u deskonfia katuas rasik maka hakarak hetaan klasifikasaun hanesan ho ninia membru sira seluk. Ha’u mos deskonfia katak Konsellu dos Ministrus la iha ida maka barani dehan la’ek ba katuas. Maibe ne’e sala. Tan ba ida ne’e istoria no istoria tenke hatuur loloos tuir ida-idak ninia kna’ar no pozisaun,” dehan membru Falintil ne’ebe husi Vikeke.

Husi Lista ne’e kompostu husi membru Falintil ne’ebe okupa iha kategoria orgaun superior, Mediu ate inferior ne’e define Birali hanesan feto mesak ida de’it maka servisu hanesan militar. 

Iha parte balun la konkorda ho programa Estadu ninian hodi desmobiliza Falintil tan ba tuir sira nia hanoin Falintil hanesan uniku instituisaun mak sei garante Estabilidade ba nasaun ne'e. "Ami la aceita atu desmobilza Falintil," dehan Antonio Ai Tahan Matak iha semana ne'e ne'e iha Dili.

Grupu CPD-RDTL mos hatoo sira ninia preokupasaun no hasoru malu ona ho ulun boot sira ne'ebe tuur iha orgaun kompetente iha estadu TL. 

Preokupasaun hanesan mos hato'o husi faluk no oan kiak sira husi Falintil ninian. Tuir sira ninia hanoin katak ba sira ne'ebe moris Estadu bele koloka ona veteranus sira ne'e ninia pozisaun maibe ba komandante sira ne'ebe mate no lakon ne'e tau hela iha ne'ebe seidauk iha esplikasaun ruma husi parte Governu ninian. 

Iha ceremonia aban ne’e sei marka prezenca husi ulun boot organizasaun Veteranus Internasional, Tri Sutrisno eis komandante TNI Indonesia ne’ebe kaptura lider maximu da Rezistencia iha tinan 1992. Tuir Planu mos sei participa husi eis Komnandte SGI Mahidin Simbolon maibe informasaun ikus katak Jeneral simbolon la mai. Iha mos dignitaries mai husi Inglatera, Australia, Singapora no nasaun CPLP.

Governu trata veteranus das Falintil ho diak uitoan tan ba sira hotu hela iha hotel lubun ruma iha capital nasaun ne’e ninian. Ohin Lorokraik tuku haat misa ba herois das Falintil sira maka lakon vid aba Ukun Rasik Aan nasaun ne’e iha Igreija Motael Dili. No iha Palaciu do Governu ninia oin dekora kmanek tebe-tebes .

FALINTIL-FDTL Sacks Soldiers and Sets Example for the Country

F-FDTL Commander, Major General Taur Matan Ruak

Dili, Tempo Semanal, 28/05/2011

On 25 May 2006 during the political – security crisis that plunged Timor-Leste into chaos FALINTIL-FDTL soldiers shot and killed a number of unarmed PNTL officers subsequent to a surrender in central Dili.

The UN Commission of Inquiry recommended that a number of F-FDTL soldiers be prosecuted for the murder of these police officers.  F-FDTL then gave way for the public trial of 4 F-FDTL soliders and one officer in Dili District Court in 2008.  The four mean were then found guilty and sentenced to 8-10 years each for their role in the massacre.

In 2010 the President of the Republic Jose Ramos-Horta commutted the soliders sentences and they returned to duty in FALINTIL-FDTL.  Some months later one of the men Armindo do Silva, a 24 year veteran of FALINTIL, was retired with full honours in an emotional retirement ceremony.

, 

On 27 May 2011 FALINTIL-FDTL announced that the remaining three men were dimissed from military service effective immediately.  Brigadier General Lere Annan Timor, Deputy Commander of F-FDTL, announced that the 3 men were being dismissed subject to a military discipline process.  Lere further explained that the judicial process is over but that the military excersiced its right to enforce military law for undisciplined behavior by the above mentioned soldiers.

According the Tempo Semanal sources inside F-FDTL there may be further dismissals in the future, including the solider that is accused of killing an elderly woman in Balide Dili 10 days ago.

The United Nations and the international community have regularly criticized F-FDTL for its perceived lack of discipline and poor rule of law record.  The recent decision as above is made outside of UN influence according to F-FDTL sources.  The F-FDTL have removed several soldiers in the past 3 years including one involved in the fighting over of a woman with an US Navy sailor in 2009 in a bar in Dili.

One defence force source told Tempo Semanal that while these decisions are necessary there is considerable agitation inside the defence force because police and civilian institutions rarely is ever sack officers or officials for professional misconduct.  He told Tempo Semanal “why us, when we always sacrificed in the past, and not them too?”

Bobi Return To Indonesia After 10 Days Visit TL

Brigadier-General Lere Annan Timor took his lost son Bobi Rahman and his wife Cici to the airport on 30/06 after their plane was delayed on the 29/06 because some of some technical problems with the aircraft.  At approximately 11:51 o 30/06 Lere and his family arrived at Nicolau Lobato Airport.

Lere, his wife and several other relatives accompanied Bobi and Cici to the departure lounge. Bobi came to East Timor after his father met him and his adopted parents in Indonesia on 08/04/2010. Lere told Tempo Semanal that, “the first moment I found and know him through his adopted mother and father. When I knew his adopted parents I got to know my son. My message for him to day is, “please do as your adopted parents raised you to do during the last 29 years. And I as your birth father having just met you for a week or two just recently.  So I do not have many things to say to you, or to teach you. The things that I would like to tell you I believe have been told by your adopted mother and father. I know your parents are not simple parents as your adopted father is a General and they both are leaders. Because of this I think your parents are disciplined and responsible people so please do as they did tell you,” Lere told his son in front of Tempo Semanal.

The former Indonesian Police head in East Timor from 1978-1982 former Brigadier Sontono and his wife adopted Bobi in early 1982. Bobi was born on 19/08/1981. Two hours after Elito (Bobi's birthname) born his mother died. Elito is the name given by his birth father Lere, comprised of "El" from his mother Elsa da Costa and "Ito" from his father baptised name Tito.

According to Lere's sister who took care of Bobi for several months before he was brought to the village in Iliomar on 14/01/1982. Bobi was supposed to buried alive with his mother. But she took him away into hiding.

Sabina and one of Lere's brothers who was later killed together with several Falintil fighters took Bobi to a nearby village. Lere's brother told the villagers that the baby boy is the son of Elsa and Tito. He asked the villagers to look after the boy or hand him over to the Indonesians to for his safekeeping. "Please tell the Indonesians that after the boy grows up he should come back and fight his father in the bush."

Bobi was raised by a former enemy of his father.  This enemy found Bobi and made him his son. Bobi came back to his birth nation on 20/06 with his adopted parents. They arrived in Dili airport around 13:31 and were greeted by Bobi's birth father the Deputy Commander of East Timor's defence force - the FALINTIL-FDTL - Brigadier General Lere Annan Timor. Many members of Lere's family turned out in Dili airport for Bobi's homecoming. General Soentono also returned to East Timor for the first time since he left East Timor in 1982. "I came back here today to bring my son to meet his father Lere and the other members of his family,” Soentono told the reporters in Dili airport.

Lere has been looking for his lost son since 1998 when he first met Tempo Semanal Journalist near Laga sub-district in Baucau District. “I have lost a son and I hear he was taken by an Indonesian Officer to Surabaya,” Lere told Tempo Semanal in November 1998.

Lere gave a warm and friendly hug to his enemy. Lere discovered his son was with Brig Soentono through a doctor name Yahannes. Then General Yunus Yosfiah assisted in bringing the two Brigadiers to a meeting in Jakarta on 08/04/2010.

Now these Indonesian and Timorese Generals are meeting not to fight as they did in the past, but their meeting full of joy mixed with tears.

Two Generals for Timor-Leste: TMR and Lere promoted.

TEMPO SEMANAL TV

On Declaration of Independence Day 28 November 2010, the Government of Timor-Leste promoted Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak, Chief of the Defence Force, to Major General.  Chief of Staff of the Defence Force, Colonel Lere Annan Timor, was also promoted, to the rank of Brigadier General.Timor-Leste's defence force is the successor to the Independence movements armed wing, FALINTIL, which fought the Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste from 1975 until 1999.  Both Matan Ruak and Annan Timor are 24 year veterans of the armed resistance.  The Timorese defence force, the FALINTIL-FDTL, consists of approximately 1,291 officers and other ranks.  579 of these personnel were recruited earlier this year in order to restore FALINTIL-FDTL to pre 2006 crisis levels.  During the 2006 crisis FALINTIL-FDTL lost nearly have of its compliment due to desertions and subsequent dismissals.  The defence force's strategic development is heavily focussed on building a naval capacity as it is going to receive two Shanghai Class patrol boats from China in March 2010.  The Government plans to upgrade the Hera Naval Facility 10 km to the west of Dili, and build a supply base on the south coast of Timor-Leste - so as to provide necessary logistical support to a range of new naval operations its plans to conduct from 2010 onwards.