A National Parliament Member (MP) has accused Vemasse sub-district administrator Tomas Freitas of selling rice which was intended to assist disaster victims, for $15 per sack. 
MP Brigida Correia says she got the information directly from the village chief of Uato-Lari as well as from Uai-Gae residents.
“They told me that the Vemasse administrator sold rice at the price of $15, using a state car at night,” MP Correia said at the National Parliament.
The MP said the rice was supplied by the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Cooperative (MKIA) because she asked for the ministry’s assistance on behalf of the village chief.
She said she had received information that sacks of rice were being kept at the village chief’s home.
She accused the administrator of misusing his power and requested MKIA launch an investigation.
“It is an abuse of power because he used a state car to sell rice as well as to take stones to companies, and loads of paddy and palm leaf stalks. I think it is not good,” she said.
MP Manuel Castro said the police were investigating.
“I met him yesterday, after I returned to Dili, he phoned me and said he got a dispatch from the Ministry of Commerce,” MP Castro said.
The MP said the administrator sold rice to the community without coordinating with village and sub-village chiefs.
“I heard from the village chiefs that he made a proposal but it was on behalf of seven village chiefs,” he said.
The Fretilin MP said the Vemasse administrator got 1300 sacks of rice from MKIA.
“He kept 76 sacks in Uatu-Lari, 96 sacks in Lui-Lubu and 92 sacks in Uai-Gae,” he said.
MP Castro said Freitas received 676 sacks of rice in the first instance and 520 in the second.
