A police officer with the Public Order Battalion (BOP) is facing disciplinary action after hitting a soldier from the Falintil-Timor-Leste Defense Force (F-FDTL) while he was on duty in Bobonoro municipality.
General Commander of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) Commissioner Julio da Costa Hornai said a joint team was currently investigating the case.
“We are waiting for the results of the investigation process before making a decision,” he said.
He said the F-FDTL was immediately informed of the incident and a decision was taken to open an investigation.
Meanwhile, Major General Lere Anan Timor has called for members of the police service involved in crime to be sacked as such cases were not good for the reputation of the institution.
He said both institutions played an important role in the defense of and therefore members must set a good example in public.
He urged the PNTL command to give a strong punishment for the officer in question as police were often police involved in conflict with defense members.
He suspects that there are unorganized groups within the PNTL trying to provoke the situation between both institutions, and therefore the command must investigate and identify those involved.
The incident occurred on August 18 in the Maliana administrative post in Bobonaro municipality.
