The Department of Justice appealed to Timor Leste authorities for the immediate extradition or deportation of fugitive Arnolfo Teves, Jr. after receiving reports that his son allegedly bribed a cop in exchange for special treatment of his father.
In a statement, the DOJ said that it received reports that the son of Teves offered a S2,000 (over P114,000) bribe to a member of Timor Leste’s Criminal Investigation Police for “security” inside and outside Becora Prison, where Teves senior is being held.
Teves is currently in pre-trial detention at Becora Prison following his arrest in March by Timorese authorities acting on an INTERPOL red notice. He is wanted in the Philippines on charges of corruption, assassination, and suspected terrorism.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla urged Timor Leste authorities to prove its commitment to the international community that the country does not harbor international fugitives.
Remulla called on Teves to “go home and face the Court squarely.”
“Let us stop playing hide and seek with the law, one cannot evade accountability for eternity. Prolonging your liabilities with the Rule of Law only worsens your predicament,” Remulla further said. Rey Requejo
Earlier, the Justice department denied allegations that it was influencing witnesses to testify against the lawmaker over his alleged involvement in the March 4, 2023 murder of provincial governor Roel Degamo and nine other persons.
DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano refuted the accusations made by Teves counsel Ferdinand Topacio that Remulla has been “tampering” with two arrested conspirators in the case.
“I can confirm that this statement is completely misleading,” Clavano lamented.
“The evidence is strong and we just want to finally be able to present it in court and have the court decide on the guilt of the perpetrator,” he said.
“This case is more than just a case of multiple murder, it is a massacre of a sitting Governor. It is a massacre of innocent bystanders,” he stressed.