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Not guilty ... Angelita Pires. Photo: Steve Tickner
Not guilty ... Angelita Pires. Photo: Steve TicknerDILI: Angelita Pires, the East Timorese-born Australian lover ofthe slain rebel leader Al
Amid emotional scenes outside Dili District Court, Ms Pires saidshe never had any doubts that she would be freed. ''It was ahoax, a set-up,'' she said. She would dedicate her life toReinado's struggle for justice.
Ms Pires has told friends she would like to enter politics andhas been approached about a Hollywood movie about her life.
Three judges found 23 of Reinado's men guilty of crimes relatingto the attacks in Dili on February 11, 2008, and sentenced themto up to 16 years in jail.
Ms Pires said she would fight to clear their names.
Marcelo Caetano, who was accused of shooting the President, JoseRamos-Horta, twice outside his home, was sentenced to 16 years'jail for charges including conspiring to kill.
But the judges found his automatic weapon was not the weaponthat shot Dr Ramos-Horta.
Hours before the verdicts were delivered, Dr Ramos-Horta toldthe Herald that Caetano had confessed to him that he had shothim, but had apologised, saying he did not intend to kill him.
Gastao Salsinha, Reinado's second in command, was sentenced to10 years and 8 months in jail. The judges said those who tookpart in an ambush of the Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao, did notintend to kill him, only to destabilise East Timor. Mr Gusmaowas unhurt in the attack.
Australian and Timorese forces surrounded the court as theverdicts were delivered. Ms Pires sobbed with her head in herlap when she heard them.
Dr Ramos-Horta, who has often publicly criticised Ms Pires forinfluencing Reinado, is likely to be furious at the outcome.
Before the verdicts were announced, Dr Ramos-Horta attacked thedefence lawyers who had said the evidence pointed to aconspiracy in which Reinado was lured to Dr Ramos-Horta's houseto be assassinated.
''There are lunatics who make this kind of conspiracy theory,''he told the Herald. Reinado had arrived at the house of acountry's president armed with heavy weapons. In any country, ifa person did that they would be shot dead. ''You don't even getclose to the president. You are shot from a distance.''
Jon Tippett, QC, a Darwin-based barrister who led Ms Pires'sdefence, said before the verdicts were handed down that theprosecution had failed to prove that any of the accused intendedto hurt the President or Prime Minister. The evidence had shownReinado was killed by two people whose weapons had not beenrecovered. ''We don't know who the murderers are. They are nottelling anyone,'' Mr Tippett said.
Ms Pires said she was only Reinado's lover and rejected claimsshe was a key player in a plot to assassinate the leaders.
The court heard that two men had overheard her telling Reinadothe day before the attacks ''go and kill the two dogs''. Herlawyers denied this and criticised prosecutors for failing tocall the men to give evidence.
Ms Pires has had her passport confiscated, stopping her fromobtaining medical treatment in Darwin, where her family live.She was pregnant to Reinado when he was killed but lost the baby.
The Australian Government funded her defence.
.
Ms Pires has told friends she would like to enter politics andhas been approached about a Hollywood movie about her life.
Three judges found 23 of Reinado's men guilty of crimes relatingto the attacks in Dili on February 11, 2008, and sentenced themto up to 16 years in jail.
Ms Pires said she would fight to clear their names.
Marcelo Caetano, who was accused of shooting the President, JoseRamos-Horta, twice outside his home, was sentenced to 16 years'jail for charges including conspiring to kill.
But the judges found his automatic weapon was not the weaponthat shot Dr Ramos-Horta.
Hours before the verdicts were delivered, Dr Ramos-Horta toldthe Herald that Caetano had confessed to him that he had shothim, but had apologised, saying he did not intend to kill him.
Gastao Salsinha, Reinado's second in command, was sentenced to10 years and 8 months in jail. The judges said those who tookpart in an ambush of the Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao, did notintend to kill him, only to destabilise East Timor. Mr Gusmaowas unhurt in the attack.
Australian and Timorese forces surrounded the court as theverdicts were delivered. Ms Pires sobbed with her head in herlap when she heard them.
Dr Ramos-Horta, who has often publicly criticised Ms Pires forinfluencing Reinado, is likely to be furious at the outcome.
Before the verdicts were announced, Dr Ramos-Horta attacked thedefence lawyers who had said the evidence pointed to aconspiracy in which Reinado was lured to Dr Ramos-Horta's houseto be assassinated.
''There are lunatics who make this kind of conspiracy theory,''he told the Herald. Reinado had arrived at the house of acountry's president armed with heavy weapons. In any country, ifa person did that they would be shot dead. ''You don't even getclose to the president. You are shot from a distance.''
Jon Tippett, QC, a Darwin-based barrister who led Ms Pires'sdefence, said before the verdicts were handed down that theprosecution had failed to prove that any of the accused intendedto hurt the President or Prime Minister. The evidence had shownReinado was killed by two people whose weapons had not beenrecovered. ''We don't know who the murderers are. They are nottelling anyone,'' Mr Tippett said.
Ms Pires said she was only Reinado's lover and rejected claimsshe was a key player in a plot to assassinate the leaders.
The court heard that two men had overheard her telling Reinadothe day before the attacks ''go and kill the two dogs''. Herlawyers denied this and criticised prosecutors for failing tocall the men to give evidence.
Ms Pires has had her passport confiscated, stopping her fromobtaining medical treatment in Darwin, where her family live.She was pregnant to Reinado when he was killed but lost the baby.
The Australian Government funded her defence.
.
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