GOPAC calls on investigation into road rehabilitations and Comoro Bridge building

Fernanda Borges

GOPACGlobal Organization of Parliamentarians Against CorruptionTimor-Leste

Press Release

Rehabilitation of Dili Roads and new Comoro Bridge

The Global Organization of Parliamentarians against Corruption (GOPAC) in Timor-Leste has received information about possible improprieties in the recent rehabilitation of Dili roads and construction of new Comoro Bridge awarded by AMP government to Consorsio National de Construcao Timor-Leste (CNCTL). If the allegations are true, the award was made a as a single-sourced procurement, without the proper tender process required for an award of this size. As such, the award potentially violates Timor-Leste's state financial management law and legal regime of procurement processes. Given the potential criminal nature of the allegations, GOPAC calls for an urgent investigation into this matter.

The information received by GOPAC alleges that the rehabilitation of Dili roads and construction of the new Comoro Bridge by CNCTL was done without a properlcy approved budget, and not based on a design plan. In addition, information received alleges that the construction was lacks rigorous technical specification and a total estimation of cost of the project. In evidence received by GOPAC, the CNCTL has indicated that cost to date is already in the order of US$ 45 million dollars.


GOPAC also notes that this construction of Dili roads and proposed construction of the Comoro bridge was never included in the state budget, and that CNCTL was rather requested to execute the project without a prior signed contract with the government.


As a result, it appears as if the project was executed solely based on CNCTL's own project cost estimation. If the information received us correct, it appears that on May 31, 2012 CNCTL, submitted an invoice of US $ 16 million dollars (out of a total of allegedly close to of US$ 45 million) to the government through the ministry of infrastructure.


GOPAC therefore requested that these allegations be investigated immediately by the Anti-Corruption Commission (CAC), Prosecutor-General (PG) and the High Court of Account. Meanwhile, GOPAC also requested the National Development Agency - Agenda Dezenvolvimento Nacional (AND) to provide to GOPAC the following documents:


- Approved design and contract documentation of rehabilitation of Dili roads and construction and new Comoro bridge project, including complete costing projections- Signed contract between government and CNCTL


- Information on state budget items which indicate that the budget as been allocated for rehabilitation of Dili roads and reconstruction of new Comoro bridge


- Information on all items that has been paid by the government to CNCTL in regards to these projects


Source: ETAN news