A mother (MB) and her son (FG) were tried at the Dili District Court (TDD) for a land dispute which culminated with the son allegedly threatening his mother with a machete at her home in Kaikoli. 
The incident took place in April 2011.
MB told the court that FG came to her house and demanded she give him a piece of land on which he could run a business.
However, MB refused as she planned to build a house on the parcel of land which she intended to rent out.
FG, who is married and lives with his wife,was alleged to have retrieved a machete from his own home and returned to his mother’s to threaten her.
“He threatened me that if I did not give him a piece of land he would cut everything in the house into pieces,” MB said.
Afraid, MB and one of her neighbors immediately reported the incident to police in Dili.
FG did not follow through on his threat to destroy his mother’s belongings.
During the trial, the defendant apologized to his mother and promised that he would not repeat his actions in future.
After hearing of the evidence of MB and FG, judge president made a decision to release dismiss the case as the pair resolved the issue.
