Timor Leste, Anti-corruption watchdog

Horta-Gusmao alliance before Parliamentary elections on 30 June,2007, Money accumulating in the petroleum fund for central campaign.

Australian Troops in Timor Leste, Peace keeping force
An alarming increase in Govt. corruption in Timor Leste has prompted a cross party push to establish a Parliamentary watchdogto fight graft in public asministration.The biggest Party in Timor Leste's parliament ,FRETILIN, announced today (1 oct 2008)it would join with other parties and even some govt. MPs to support the setting up of a parliamentary commission to tackle corruption. FRETILIN is putside the present Govt.

Following the release of transparency International's 2008index report it was seen that Timor Leste under the Leadership of Zanana Gusmao's Parliamentary majority alliance (AMP) govt. registered the most significant deterioration of any country.this was the second successive year of declinein the index,following a drop from112 to 123rdplace in the corresponding period for 2006-2007when Dr. Jose Ramos Horta was Prime Minister.FRETILIN's parliamentary leader anicetoGuterres said today Transparency International's survey followed a steady flow of reports of corruptionand maladministration by the AMP govt.and had causeda raging national debate on Timor-Leste's worsening status. He said specific scandals included :

1. The Deputy Prime Minister employing his wife (a non-diplomat) at Timor Leste's New York

mission at a salary three times that of a diplomat.

2. Prime Minister Gusmao authorising a single source contract worth US$ 14.4 million for the

supply of rice. The contract went to the Tres Amigos (three friends)company headed by gusmao's friend and fellow party man of germano da Siva.

3. The Gusmao's administration's awarding of a dubious single source contract for the purchase of patrol boats from a chinese company closely associated with Gusmao's political ally Abilio Araujo.

4. Secretly negotiated and non-transparent agreements between the Gusmao Govt. and foreign companies to give away 100,000 hectares - one quarter of Timor leste's arable land -for bio-fuels crops.

5. Gusmao's administration's proposed purchase of 4 wheel Drive luxury vehicles as a political pay off for MPs.