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Trafiku Xoke-malu ne’e asidente risku boot ida iha kapital Dili ba saude no seguransa. Iha loron 12/10/2016, ema otas ida lori kareta halai tun iha dalan Pantai kelapa nian. Motorista ne’e halai ho neneik no fó siñal hodi halai ba liman karuk ba dalan ki’ik-oan ida besik embaisada America (US) nian. Atu tama ba iha dalan ne’e klo’ot los bele dehan kareta ida nia fatin mak liu ba mai, tamba ne’e motorista tenki halai neneik besik no siñal hodi para antes atu fila ka korta ba sinais ne’ebé fó ona. Wainhira motorista ne’e atu fila, motor ida halai ho velosidade maka’as koko atu liu kareta ne’e husi liman karuk, manouvra ida ne’e lei bandu. Motor ne’e ra’ut kareta ne’e iha parte liman karuk antes xoke nia espelu no parte ohin iha kondutor nian antes monu.
Ema-lubuk boot ida mak ba muda motor ne’e no fo kulpa ba iha kondutor kareta ne’e. Polísia tranzitu to’o lalais no halo atuasaun ba situasaun ne’e hodi sukat no hasai imajen. Kondutor ne’e membru ONU nian no ofisial seguransa ida husi departmantu seguransa ONU nian (UNDSS) akompaãa atu observa hanesan mos sasin ida no fasilita ba prosesu ne’e presiza. Polísia transitu husu motorista nain rua atu akompaña sira ba iha kuarter boot polísia tranzitu nian iha Kaikoli.
To’o iha neba, polísia tranzitu foti motorista sira nia dadus detailu. Indika katak motorista lori motor ne’e moris iha tinan 2001, signifika motorista ne’e foin ho idade 15 ka sei labarik ki’ik-oan maibe iha ona karta kondusaun. Polísia tranzitu hakfodak no deskonfia maka’as oinsa labarik ida ho idade 15 posibilidade iha ona karta kondusaun, diskunfia ne’e hanesan halo dokumentus falsu ka ema ruma mak halo nia karta ne’e ilegal. Falsifikasaun ba karta kondusaun ne’e hanesan krimi ida iha Timor-Leste no bele hetan kastigu to’o tinan 3; hanesan dokumentu estadu nian, sekarik ida ne’e mak falsifika husi membru ofisiais governu nian sei hetan kastigu to’o tinan 6. Kodigu ba Estrada kona-bá Timor-Leste hatuur ona katak idade 16 ne’e idade minimu iha ne’ebé ema ida hodi hetan karta kondusaun hodi lori veikulu saida deit iha Timor-Leste, no hatuur mos dokumentus baziku balun mak hanesan liu ona iha izame kondusaun nian. Tuir mai, se deit mak idade 18 ba kraik sei iha formas autorizasaun eskrita ida hodi aprezenta husi nia parente hodi hetan karta kondusaun ne’e.
Polísia tranzitu kontinua prosesa no foti deklarasaun lolos husi kondutor kareta nian, maibe tamba motorista ne’e ho idade ki’ik tuir lei nasional nian polísia tranzitu la foti deklarasaun no husu ba parte rua bele fila no ba fali edifisu iha tuku 4 lolos wainhira labarik ne’e nia inan ka aman mai apresenta an ona.
Iha tuku 4 lolos kondutor ne’e fila ba estasaun polísia haree labarik ne’e tu’ur hela, no kondutor ne’e husu atu komesa halo esplikasaun. Ofisiais PNTL ida (diviza superintendente polísia) ne’ebé la’os membru polísia tranzitu nian hamri’ik no halo intervensaun. Identifika hanesan komandante Munisípiu Liquiça nian no aman ba labarik ne’e. Nia komesa ko’alia no hakilar ho lian boot no ameasa katak karik iha buat ruma akontese ona ba nia oan ne’e katak kondutor ne’e mos sei hasoru problema seriu ida, ho intensaun hanesan ameasa ida. Komandante distritu ne’e ko’alia lian maka’as, ho agresivu hatudu lolos ninia dezrespetu ba sira ne’ebé mak marka prezensa iha neba. Nia rejeita hodi rona ba nein esplikasaun husi polísia tranzitu no kondutor ne’e no nia rasik mos lakohi halo esplikasaun lori labarik nia naran. Komandante ne’e rasik rejeita total atu rekuiñese nein evidensia lolos (Izemplu, impaktu husi kareta xoke-aat, no nia-oan kanek iha kaba’as ne’ebé hetan baku iha kareta, indikasaun husi kondutores ne’ebé ho velosidade lalais). Maibe rekuinese nia oan ho idade 15 wainhira polísia tranzitu esplika ida ne’e. komandante Munsipiu ne’e koli’a lolos katak nia halo intervensaun hodi “defende nia oan”.
Komandate Munsipiu ne’e obriga polísia tranzitu atu hamonu problema ne’e depois rona nia oan nia esplikasaun. Laiha akuzasaun mak hato’o bazeia ba kodigu Estrada nian ka mezmu violasaun ne’e involve husi parte rua. Kondutor ne’e ho lalais husik hela fatin hodi prevene situasaun seluk mosu no abandona sira nia diretu kompensasaun ba kondisaun kareta xoke-aat, motor mos hetan xoke-aat. Maibe liga ho trafiku insidente xoke-malu seluk mak involve kondutor estranjeru, latemi kompensaun ba motor nia aat ne’e.
Trafiku xoke-malu ne’e la’os buat foun iha kapital Dili, ida ne’e identifika ema barak liu ne’ebé la iha kualifikadu hodi sai kondutores, laiha karta kondusaun ka uza karta kondusaun falsu no hala’i arbiru inklui laiha responsabilidade viola Kodigu Estrada nian. Maibe buat ida ne’ebé la normal ka lasimu mak intervesaun direta husi ofisiais PNTL ne’ebé uza sala nia pozisaun poder no prosesu legal hodi suporta ba nia membru familia ida, liga ho etika profesionalismu no importante liu mak violasaun kona-bá kodigu penal Timor-Leste nian.
Abuzu poder ne’e defini ona iha artigu 297 husi kodigu penal 2009: “Ofisiais estadu ruma ne’ebé halo abuzu poder ka viola servisu liga ho nia responsabilidade ho intensaun atu hetan benefisiu ba an rasik ka ema terseru pesoa mak benefisiu husi violasaun lei ne’e sei afeta ba buat seluk...”Ne’e bele hetan kastigu tinan 1 to’o 4, sansaun todan ne’ebé mak tuir lei. Signifika komandante Munisípiu klaru uza sala poder liga ho nia diviza PNTL nian hodi rejeita no halakon polísia transitu hodi prevene ba prosesu kriminozu, ba benefisiu oan nia ne’ebé lori motor ho karta kondusaun falsu ho idade minór no koko atu halai liu husi liman karuk nian.
Intervensaun husi ofisiais estadu iha kazu krimi estraga lei iha nasaun ne’e no hanesan forma korupsaun ida ne’ebé aat halo husi ofisiais estadu nian ne’ebé promesa ona hodi servi no proteje sira nia nasaun; Ida ne’e la’os lori deit ofisiais individuu hodi halo naran-fo’er, maibe hahalok ne’ebé la professional no ilegal mos halo naran-fo’er ba iha PNTL tomak hanesan instituisaun ida, involve labarik ida ho mensajen ne’ebé klaru haruka ona ba labarik ne’e katak autoridade bele uza hodi hase’es no solusiona regra no lei.
FM Rekomenda:
1. Treinamentu sai obrigasaun ba membru PNTL tomak (no ofisiais estadu sira) kona-bá saida mak konflitu ba interese no saida mak abuzu poder ne’e.
2. Instrusaun espesifiku ne’ebé hasai ba PNTL tomak hodi resigna-an husi problema saida deit ka situasaun ne’ebé interese ba konflitu ne’ebé los, posibilidade ka dalaruma implementa hanesan procedura operasaun estandarte ba PNTL tomak.
3. Investigasaun proativu no akuzasaun ba ofisiais PNTL nian/diskonfia uza sala ona sira nia poder, investigasaun ne’e rasik sei hala’o husi inspetur jeral PNTL nian.
4. Programa treinamentu ba kursu kondutores sira kona-bá sira ne’ebé presiza karta kondusaun, dezenvolve no administra husi treinador ne’ebé kualifikadu. Ida ne’e sei responsabel husi ministerio interior.
5. Treinamentu no sosializasaun kodigu Estrada nian ba komunidade jeral, maibe partikularmente treinamentu ho klean ba polísia tranzitu.
6. Kumpri maka’as ba kodigu Estrada nian husi polísia tranzitu, la’os kumpri oituan deit ba lei. Ida ne’e presiza prepara equipmanetu ba polísia tranzitu ho lolos determina karik veikulu sira/motor sira la’o ho velosidade ne’ebé limita.
Atu hetan informasaun kle’an liu kona-bá asuntu ne’e bele kontaktu:
Nélson Belo
Diretor Ezekutivu
Email: direktor.mahein@gmail.com ka almeidamahein@gmail.com
Telemovel: (+670) 78316075 no 77561184
Website: www.fundasaunmahein.org
Liquiça District Commander’s Abuse of Power and Underage Driving
Traffic collisions are one of Dili’s greatest hazards to health and safety. On 12/10/2016 – an adult was driving down Av. Praia de Coquieros. The driver slowed and signalled to turn left onto the small connector road just after the US Embassy. The entry to this road is very narrow permitting only one car to enter or exit at one time, so the driver slowed to a near stop before making the turn with the indicator signal on as legally required. As the driver started to turn, a motorcycle travelling at excess speed attempted to overtake the turning vehicle on the left hand side, a maneuver prohibited by law. The motorcycle scraped along the left hand side of the car before hitting the mirror and front driver’s side before crashing.
A large hostile crowd gathered, the motorcycle was moved and blame was pointed at the driver of the car. Transit Police arrived quickly and took control of the situation, taking measurements and photos. The driver is a member of the UN system and a security officer from the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) accompanied to observe proceedings as a witness and facilitate as required. Transit Police asked both drivers to accompany them to the Transit Police HQ in Caicoli.
Upon arriving, the transit police took licenses and details from both parties. The motorcycle driver’s license indicated he was born in late 2001 – meaning the driver was only 15 years old, a child, and had a driver’s license. The Transit Police involved wondered out loud how a 15-year old could possibly have a license, noting it was either a fraudulent document, or that someone had produced it illegally. Forgery of a driver’s license is a crime in Timor-Leste carrying up to 3 years imprisonment; as a public document, if it was forged by a state official, it carries up to 6 years imprisonment. The Highway Code of Timor-Leste sets 16 years of age as the minimum age at which anyone can obtain a driver’s license of any kind in Timor-Leste and sets numerous basic requirements, such as having passed a driving test. Further, anyone under 18 years of age would have had to present written authorization from a parent in order to obtain that license.
The Transit Police proceeded and took an official statement from the driver of the car, however, because the motorcycle driver was a child, in line with national law, the Transit Police did not take a statement and requested both parties return later in the day at 16:00 when the child’s mother or father would be present.
At 16:00, the driver returned to the station. Seeing the child sitting, the driver asked to begin proceedings. Immediately a senior PNTL officer (rank of Superintendente Policia) who was not a member of the Transit Police stood up and intervened. He identified himself as the District Commander of Liquica and the child’s father. The District Commander began speaking in a loud aggressive tone and threatened that if anything had happened to his son, the driver would have been in serious trouble – something intended as a threat. The District Commander spoke loudly, aggressively and showed total disrespect to all present. He refused to listen to either the Transit Police officers present or the driver and did not allow his son to speak on his own behalf. The District Commander completely refused to acknowledge any of the factual evidence (e.g. the impact damage on the driver’s car and injury to his son’s right arm where he had hit the car, indicative of excessive driving speed) – but did acknowledge his son was only 15 years old when a Transit Police officer pointed this out. The District Commander stated clearly and unequivocally multiple times that he was intervening to “defend his son”.
The District Commander forced the Transit Police to drop the matter after taking his son’s statement. No charges were filed under the Highway Code or Penal despite apparent violations of both. The driver left as quickly as possible to avoid the situation escalating and abandoned their right to compensation for damage to their vehicle – the motorcycle was badly damaged, however, contrary to many other traffic collisions involving foreign drivers, no compensation was mentioned for damage to the motorcycle.
Traffic collisions are nothing new in Dili – it is well known that many people are not qualified to drive, do not have licenses, or have fake licenses, and drive dangerously, recklessly, and irresponsibly in full violation of the Highway Code. However, what is not normal, or acceptable, is the direct intervention of a senior PNTL officer abusing their position of power and quashing legal proceedings in favor of a family member – in complete contravention of any sense of professional ethics, and more importantly, in violation of the Penal Code of Timor-Leste.
Abuse of power is defined in Article 297 of the 2009 Penal Code as: “Any official who abuses powers or violates duties inherent to his or her office, with the intent to obtain, for themselves or any third party, any unlawful benefit or to cause loss to another … “It is punishable with 1 to 4 years imprisonment barring any other heavier penalty available under the law. In this case, the District Commander clearly abused the power inherent to his PNTL rank to overrule and override the Transit Police to prevent criminal proceedings, to the unlawful benefit of his son who was driving with a fake license, underage, and attempting to pass illegally on the left while speeding.
The intervention of public officials in criminal matters undermines rule of law in the country and represents one of the worst forms of corruption by an official who has sworn to serve and protect their nation; it not only brings the individual officer into disrepute, but unprofessional and illegal behaviour also bring the entire PNTL as an institution into disrepute. In this case involving a child, a clear message has been sent to the child that authority can be used to circumvent and overcome rules and laws.
FM Recommends that:
1. Training becomes mandatory for all PNTL [and public officials] on what constitutes a conflict of interest and what abuse of power is.
2. Specific instructions are issued for all PNTL to recuse themselves from any matter or situation where conflicts of interest are evident, likely or possible, implemented as Standard Operating Procedure for all PNTL.
3. Proactive investigation and prosecution of PNTL officers suspected/alleged to have abused their power. Such investigations to be undertaken by the Inspector General PNTL.
4. Institute mandatory driver training courses for all license seekers, developed and administered by qualified driver education teachers. This would come under the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior.
5. Training and socialization of the Highway Code – for the general population, but in particular in-depth training for Transit Police.
6. Full enforcement of the Highway Code by Transit Police – not just piecemeal enforcement of the law. This would require the provision of the necessary equipment for Transit Police to accurately determine if vehicle/motorcycles are driving in excess of speed limits.
For more details on this issue, please contact:
Nélson Belo
Executive Director of FM
Phone: +670 78316075 or 7756 1184
Email: direktor.mahein@gmail.com
Website: www.fundasaunmahein.org
