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.

TEMPO SEMANAL RELEASES PNTL WEAPONS PURCHASE / IMPORT DOCUMENTS

Tempo Semanal Exclusif

Tempo Semanal can report that on 24 July 2012 PT PINDAD Deputy Director Weapons Systems Triyono Andri Susilo issued instructions for export of weapons to Timor-Leste's national police service, via Packing List No. 16/PL/DS/P/BD/VII/2012 PM2v1 Submachine guns.

This newspaper reported on this issue here "PNTL Loses Weapons: Commander Longuinos Monteiro In Charge" on 9 August 2012 in addition to "PNTL LOSES WEAPONS AND BUYS FAULTY ONES" on 11 August 2012.

Tempo Semanal can now report it has total import documents for public review on its new facebook fanpage that can be viewed here.  Including 

1. PT PINDAD packing list for PM2v1 submachine guns, 
2. PT PINDAD packing list for  SAR-2 anti riot guns, 
3. Merpati weapons cargo export invoice, 
4. PNTL customs invoice, and 
5. letter from PNTL General Commander Longuinos Monteiro demanding customs expedite process for PNTL weapons imports.

The complete import documents are available for public review on its new facebook fanpage that can be viewed here.

PNTL WEAPONS

 Tempo Semanal Facebook Fanpage http://www.facebook.com/TempoSemanal

PNTL LOSES WEAPONS AND BUYS FAULTY ONES

PNTL buys PINDAD weapons and PNTL Intelligence Commander loses his semiautomatic assault rifle.

Gun Procurement/Importation

PM2v1 Submachine gun PT PINDAD

In a startling development almost entirely unknown to the public Tempo Semanal can report that PNTL have procured a number of high powered PM2 submachine guns from PT PINDAD Indonesia. 

A senior PNTL officer informed Tempo Semanal that the PM2 submachine guns purchased from PT PINDAD were found to be faulty during a training session last  Saturday. In the mean time Secretary of State Francisco Guterres said he has requested the presence of the relevant company responsible for the procurement of the weapons to answer for the poor quality of the quality of the PT PINDAD products.  Guterres confessed he does not know which company was responsible for the importation of weapons for PNTL into Timor-Leste.  He stated that Commander Longuinos Monteiro was responsible for this matter.

“I did approve some amount of money to buy 75 PM2 weapons. I entrusted to the PNTL commander who has knowledge in this regard. But there was some questions regarding the quality and sutibaility of these weapons. So we just brought in five unit for testing and these weapons appear of poor quality,” said Francisco Guterres, Secretary of State for Security.

According to the packing list number 16/PL/DS/BD/VII/2012, dated July 24th 2012 PT.PINDAD (PERSERO) sent five units of sub machine gun cal. 9mm PM2-V1 to the PNTL (East Timor National Police). The Deputy Director of PT PINDAD signed the letter. Based on the reference order number 12000513 dated February 21th 2012.

On the same day the Directorate Weapon’s System signed of a packing list no. 15/PL/DS/P/BD/VII/2012 for 30 anti riot gun SAR-2. 

In a request letter to head of East Timor Custom on 30/07/2012 PNTL General Commander Longuinhos Monteiro demanded that the weapons be handed over to PNTL.

There were four boxes arrived in Dili, Airport by Merparti Aero plane (MZ 8480) and is confirmed with manisfest which signed by Mr. Basilio de Araujo from PNTL and Mr. Aurelio A. Tilman from DAU on 31/07/2012.

Speaking anonymously a senior customs officer told Tempo Semanal, “the items was not allowed to be check by the Customs Authorities and was released immediately so we do not know how many weapons were in fact imported into the country.”

The customs officer further told Tempo Semanal, “the total numbers of weapons appear to be same as those declared on the paper but this PNTL officer act very suspiciously.”

When asked by Tempo Semanal a number of civil society actors seeking anonymity questioned why the PNTL needs such high powered weapons, in a country when the most common threats to public safety are domestic violence, occasional martial arts clashes involving sharp weapons such as machete. Certainly far below the needs for submachine guns.

This is hardly the community policing style that certain members of the Government have been calling for for some years.

Missing Gun

In the mean time Timorese in Dili are preoccupied with the PNTL mismanagement of their weapons which causes some to be lost, stolen or even perhaps sold. Last night PNTL conducted road blocks and stop and search process in the heart Dili searching for a missing FNC semiautomatic assault rifles along with 60 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition.  As reported yesterday, this weapon was lost or otherwise misplaced while in the possession of the Commander of PNTL (East Timor National Police) Intelligence Unit. 

PNTL General Commander Longuinos Monteiro

However, in answer to probing questions from the public Longuinos Monteiro PNTL commander has dismissed the case as not being a serious matter. However, Deputy Prime Minister Fernando Lasama has stated it is a most serious matter and demanded that the weapon be recovered immediately.

"I don't think it will give any negative impact to the state with one missing weapon," said Mr. Longuinhos after the meeting with President today.

Yesterday the Secretary of State for Security urged that the case be investigated and that the PNTL Intelligence Commander be suspended. However at the time of writing the officer remains at work in his office at PNTL HQ in central Dili, despite COmmander Longuinos assuring media and public inquiries with statements that the officer has been suspended.

10 Anniversary Celebration of PNTL (National Police of Timor-Leste)

Iha 27 Marcu 2010 iha selebrasaun aniversariu dala sanulu Polisia Nasional Timor Leste - PNTL nian.  iha palasio governu.

On 27 March 2010 at the Government Palace there was a tenth anniversary celebration of the National Police of Timor-Leste

Foto husi Lirio Fonseca ba Tempo Semanal.