José Ramos-Horta pleased ‘fairness prevailed’ in Bernard Collaery case

Exclusive: Timor-Leste president welcomes decision to end prosecution of good man' who helped expose Australian bugging operation

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Timor-Leste's president, Jose Ramos-Horta, has welcomed the wisdom and fairness" of the decision to end the prosecution of Bernard Collaery, saying the lawyer is a good man" who represented the best of Australian ideals.

Collaery and his client, intelligence officer Witness K, are viewed as heroes in Timor-Leste for their role in exposing Australia's 2004 operation to bug the nation's government offices to gain the upper hand in oil and gas negotiations.

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