SRSG SEEKS TRANSFER OF MANNING MURDER SUSPECT

In a letter sent to the Indonesian Attorney-General Marzuki Darusman, SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello has formally requested the transfer to East Timor of Yacobus Bere, suspected of killing New Zealand Peacekeeper Leonard William Manning on 24 July last year. The request was made under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding on the cooperation in legal, judicial and human rights related matters signed on 6 April 2000 between the Government of Indonesia and UNTAET. Attached to the letter is the indictment filed against Yacobus Bere, who was a member of the Laksaur militia group, a warrant for his arrest and for the search and seizure of evidence relating to the case. Copies of all documents were also sent to the Indonesian Mission in Dili.

CONTINUED SUPPORT TO INSPECTOR-GENERAL’S OFFICE

SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Saturday between UNTAET and the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) to continue the support by that office to the Office of the Inspector-General of the East Timor Transitional Administration. OIOS supervises and inspects the general functioning of the United Nations.The investigation services will be provided through the OIOS Investigations Section Office in Dili (ISD), which will be staffed by four persons. The office will also provide fraud and corruption prevention assistance in the form of advice, consultation and training for UNTAET and the East Timor Transitional Administration program managers, among other things. The operational supervision will be carried out by the Chief of the Investigation Section of OIOS in New York.

CONSTRUCTION OF DEFENCE FORCE TRAINING CENTRE STARTS

A ceremony to mark the beginning of the construction of the new East Timor Defense Force training center in Metinaro took place today, 3 April. The center will be established on a 17 square km site formerly used by the Department of Agriculture and as a TNI training center. The center will include an accommodation building, administration, classrooms, shooting ranges and sport facilities. The construction is expected to be completed by June 2001. The first 250 recruits have already commenced their training at a temporary site in Aileu district. The US$3 million project is funded by the Australian Government. The construction and the training program are overseen by the Office of the Defense Force Development, under the direction of Roque Rodrigues, an East Timorese. Acting SRSG Jean-Christian Cady, the Head of Australian Mission James Batley, the Defense Force Commander Brigadier-General Taur Matan Ruak, and the Peacekeeping Force Commander Boonsrang Niumpradit were present.