The couple are currently being held in the Northern Immigration Detention Centre, in Darwin, for entering the country illegally on 9 November.
The two had been sentenced in Dili in August to eight years in prison and told to pay $859,000 compensation for fraudulent use of public money. They appealed against the sentence.
They are now being asked to be extradited to Portugal for the illegal entry into Australia and their lawyer said it has “nothing to do with the crime” they were charged with in East Timor.
Their lawyer recalled that there is an extradition treaty between Portugal and Australia (that the Portuguese parliament ratified in 1988) but that there was no such treaty between East Timor and Australia.
Couple on the run ask to be extradited to Portugal
By TPN/Lusa, in News · 23 Nov 2017, 14:40 · 1 Comments
They must face justice in Australia and in East Timor. MEP Ana Gomez has already attacked the East Timorese judiciary and has sought to influence the course of Australian law as well. It does not look good. Our relationship with East Timor is much more important than our relationship with Portugal. I hope the Australian government returns these convicts to East Timor after they have served their time here in Australia for the violations they committed in coming here illegally.
By Warren Wright from Other on 25 Nov 2017, 06:48