Government ensures compliance with the law in the attribution of passports to Portuguese convicted in Timor

Following the flight to Australia pay to have a research paper done of the two Portuguese citizens, Augusto Santos Silva ordered an urgent inquiry to be made to the General Diplomatic and Consular Inspectorate, whose conclusion was delivered on Thursday.

The Portuguese Foreign Minister assured on Friday that the embassy in Dili respected the Portuguese legislation when granting passports to the couple Tiago and Fong Fong Guerra, who fled to Australia after the condemnation for embezzlement by the East Timorese court.  PUB  Following the flight of two Portuguese nationals to Australia earlier this month, Portuguese diplomat Augusto Santos Silva ordered an urgent inquiry into the Diplomatic and Consular General Inspectorate, the conclusion of which was delivered on Thursday.  "The inspection inquiry verifies that all legal requirements have been fulfilled by the Portuguese embassy. I have today transmitted the contents of this report to my colleague, Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister, because I do not want any doubt to hang over a bilateral relationship as good as the relationship between Portugal and Timor-Leste, "the Portuguese minister told Lusa on the sidelines of a conference and inauguration on Portuguese forced labor victims in Nazi Germany at the Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon.

The Guerra couple renewed their citizen cards earlier this year, and more recently Portuguese passports were issued, prompting criticism in the  Timorese press.  "Portuguese citizens are entitled to identification documents as Portuguese citizens, irrespective of their legal situation, provided they do not violate certain legal provisions. In this case, there was no such violation, according to our inquiry, the applicable Portuguese legislation was complied with and so the passports were assigned, in compliance with the law, "Santos Silva said today. Assignment help service Asked about the extradition request for Portugal sent by the couple to the Portuguese Attorney General's Office, the minister sent him to justice.  "Portugal provides consular support to all its citizens regardless of the legal situation they are in, but the legal process and legal situation is not within the competence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he said, noting that the Government is not involved in no negotiation with the Timorese executive on this case.

He added: "It is up to the judicial authorities of Timor-Leste and Australians and, in the event of this request, to the Portuguese judicial authorities, to pronounce themselves in accordance with their respective legislations and making use of their respective powers."