Allegation of corruption, collusion and nepotism against Emilia Pires a big threat to the State Budget for 2013

.

Jornal Independente - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - Translation from Tetum report 

  

The director of the NGO Luta Hamutuk, Mericio Alara, says that the allegation of corruption, collusion and nepotism (better known in Timor by Indonesian acronym, KKN) against Finance Minister Emilia Pires, looms as a great threat to the general budget State (OGE) for 2013, because she as the Minister of Finance is the person responsible for the management of state money.

"This is actually a major disaster, it cannot be left languishing over a prolonged time, because it is the Minister of Finance who manages the state budget," Akara told The Independent yesterday.

For this reason he appeals to the Minister of Finance, Emilia Pires, to resign from office because there are suspicions of KKN against her alleging she approved a government procurement contract to her husband.

"Actually, she does not need to wait for any other process to be started, she has to declare to the public that she does not deserve to occupy the position and it is better for her to resign beforehand to concentrate fully on accounting for herself," Akara said.

Akara said the State Budget should not be managed by people on suspicion of having engaged in corruption, collusion and nepotism.

Mericio Akara added that, "the Public Prosecutor and Anticorruption Commission must conduct an investigation quickly because this is an extraordinary case involving the Minister of Finance and the very person who manages the state money.

“The investigation should not only focus on who committed it, but has to take into account the position of the person as minister, to avoid confusion among the public," Akara said.

Mericio Akara said that this allegation against the Minister of Finance has strong indications that there was a breach of a conflict of interest because she approved a government contract to her husband.

"As civil society we think that this case can not be considered a normal case, but as an extraordinary case because it involves a finance minister of the state," he said.

However, the Minister of Finance, Emilia Pires, has already publicly declared on a number of occasions that she is ready to answer the allegations in a court that she approved a government contract last year to buy equipment for the Guido Valadares National Hospital to your husband.

.