Mark Dodd – Rebel army major Alfredo Reinado is in negotiations to give himself up to face murder charges over the deaths of five people during a gun battle. East Timor Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta said yesterday that Major Reinado had been "much more co-operative" in talks with the Prime Minister's office and other senior government and UN officials.
"He (Major Reinado) has stated he is willing to face the charges against him in regard to the killing that took place at Fatu Ahi in May," Dr Ramos Horta said. "Now we are in the last stages of dialogue with Mr Reinado for him to co-operate with justice. I hope his case can be resolved in the next few weeks."
Major Reinado, named by a UN commission of inquiry as a prime suspect in last year's deadly violence, had earlier claimed he was unfairly singled out for punishment. The Australian-trained former head of military police is wanted over the deaths of five people in a skirmish with loyalist soldiers on May 23 on Dili's outskirts. His escape from Dili's Becora jail on August 30 with 56 other inmates embarrassed the Australian-led military guarding the prison precinct.
Dr Ramos Horta said a court appearance by Major Reinado, along with two other trials involving members of East Timor's security forces and former interior minister Rogerio Lobato, would "send a good signal to society that no one is above the law". Mr Lobato, a key ally of former prime minister Mari Alkatiri, faces charges of arming a civilian hit squad to liquidate government opponents.
Dr Ramos Horta expressed disappointment over UN delays in the signing of a security agreement with Australia and East Timor. The memorandum of understanding is necessary because of the Howard Government's refusal to allow Australian peacekeepers in East Timor to submit to UN command. It covers rules of engagement, command responsibilities and operational guidelines.
In Canberra, the Department of Foreign Affairs refused to comment, saying negotiations were continuing and a signing was expected soon. Dr Ramos Horta said the agreement should have been signed this week. "I am at a loss to know what is holding the UN up," he said.
The UN attached the "highest importance" to the agreement and was making every effort to ensure its early signing, a UN spokeswoman said. Clear lines of command for the deployment of Australian troops could have prevented scenes outside a Dili court last Friday when more than 100 East Timorese soldiers, several of them armed, demonstrated in support of colleagues involved in last year's violence in Dili.