Wiranto warrant in doubt

Gen Wiranto is running as a candidate in July's polls

East Timor's chief prosecutor has distanced himself from efforts to pursue Indonesian presidential candidate General Wiranto.

A UN-backed tribunal has issued a warrant against the general, accusing him of war crimes when East Timor voted to split from Indonesia in 1999.

But Longuinhos Monteiro said it would not be in East Timor's interest to forward the warrant to Interpol.

East Timor's leaders are apparently worried the case could hurt efforts to rebuild ties with its neighbour.

WIRANTO CHARGES Indicted by prosecutors in East Timor over 1999 violence But Indonesia highly unlikely to hand him over to face trial Few Indonesians believe the allegations against him Wiranto denies any wrongdoing Profile: General Wiranto

The BBC's Jakarta correspondent Rachel Harvey, says that ever since the special, UN-backed tribunal in East Timor issued its arrest warrant against the former armed forces general, the government of East Timor has done everything in its power to block it.

At first the prosecutor-general, Longuinhos Monteiro, asked for the warrant to be withdrawn.

But now Mr Monteiro says he is unlikely to forward the warrant to Interpol because, as he put it, it would not be in the interests of East Timor.

If the warrant had been forwarded to Interpol, General Wiranto would in theory have been liable to arrest if he travelled abroad.

His comments echo those of his president. Xanana Gusmao has said relations with Indonesia should take precedence over efforts to bring to justice those responsible for the bloody mayhem which surrounded the birth of the world's newest nation.

General Wiranto has been charged with command responsibility for the 1999 violence. He was head of the armed forces and defence minister of Indonesia at the time.

The retired military man denies any wrongdoing. He has described the allegations as a character assassination aimed at scuppering his chances of winning Indonesia's presidential election in July.

Our correspondent says political sensitivities seem to be forcing justice to take a back seat.