[ENG-TET]
PRESS STATEMENT
STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT J. RAMOS-HORTA
In Response to The Guardian Article Titled: “Private jets, deserted shores and an unbuilt resort: alleged links to sanctioned ‘scam’ empire revealed in Timor-Leste”
On April 6, 2026, the international media The Guardian published an article titled: “Private jets, deserted shores and an unbuilt resort: alleged links to sanctioned ‘scam’ empire revealed in Timor-Leste.” This article mentions foreigners, including a gentleman named Frank Lin.”
Frank Lin is a businessman based his business in Hong Kong, Japan, and several other countries. His business focuses primarily on information technology, including blockchain, and he has made investments in Asian countries, including Japan. I welcome him, just as I welcome any investor from countries across Asia and Europe.
Mr. Lin first came to Timor-Leste around last year. To date, he has not made any investments in Timor-Leste. Like many investors, Mr. Lin arrived with ideas, plans, and dreams of making significant investments in Timor-Leste, though these have not yet materialized.
However, Mr. Lin has become aware of my humanitarian activities, which seek daily support for the poor, families, communities, and students. In response, he has begun providing support, including laptops, sports equipment, clothing, and a substantial donation toward scholarships.
The articles published do not provide any factual evidence that Mr. Lin is linked to organized crime in Asian. So far, we are reading only allegations, no hard evidence.
Timor-Leste seeks to attract investors. We cannot make baseless allegations against people simply because they come from Asia, as if everyone from Asian Countries is linked to organized crime. That is a serious mistake. Mr. Lin has done nothing wrong in Timor-Leste. It is the government that will decide whether to accept any investment, and if that investment is good for Timor-Leste, then the government will decide accordingly.
Over the years, I have consistently spoken out about the treat of organized crime. In Timor-Leste itself, our own people are not involved in organized crime. However, as a fragile country, we remain vulnerable to threats and infiltration by foreign organized crime. The incident that occurred in Oé-Cusse a few months ago was met with swift government intervention to shut it down. The government has also closed illegal gaming operations in Dili. Currently, I do not see any organized crime installed in Timor-Leste.
Mr. Frank Lin does not reside in Timor-Leste; he lives in Hong Kong and Japan.
Together with the government and our entire society, we remain alert to the dangers of organized crime. But I cannot accept information that comes merely from media reports or from certain individuals in Timor-Leste — people who may wish evil upon the country or seek to tarnish the name of Timor-Leste, they are the ones produce false information against those who wish to invest in Timor-Leste.”
As I previously told The Guardian:
“We must be unforgiving and ruthless against organized crime. I lost brothers and sister in the fight for independence and so many Timorese died for this country to be free. I don’t want this country to be overrun by criminals.”
I will continue to welcome investors who wish to come. I will continue to speak with everyone. However, if any evidence emerges that convinces me that an investor is part of organized crime, the government and I will stop them without hesitation.
Unsubstantiated allegations made without evidence against any individual will not be accepted. Timor-Leste is open for legitimate investment, and we will remain vigilant.
J. Ramos-Horta
President and Nobel Peace Laureate
Dili, 7th April 2026
DEKLARASAUN IMPRENSA
DEKLARASAUN HUSI PREZIDENTE J. RAMOS-HORTA
Resposta ba Artigu husi The Guardian ho títulu: “Private jets, deserted shores and an unbuilt resort: alleged links to sanctioned ‘scam’ empire revealed in Timor-Leste”
Iha loron 6 fulan-Abril tinan 2026, Media Internasionál The Guardian públika artigu ho títulu: “Private jets, deserted shores and an unbuilt resort: alleged links to sanctioned ‘scam’ empire revealed in Timor-Leste.” Artigu ne’e temi ema husi rai-liur, inklui Senhor ida ho naran Frank Lin.
Frank Lin maka emprezáriu ida ne’ebé estabelese nia negosiu iha Hong Kong, Japaun, no nasaun sira seluk. Nia negósiu foka liuliu kona-ba teknolojia informasaun, inklui blockchain, no nia halo ona investimentu sira iha nasaun sira iha Ázia nian, inklui Japaun. Ha’u simu nia, hanesan ha’u simu investidór sira mai husi nasaun barak iha Ázia no Europa.
Sr. Lin hahú mai Timor-Leste iha tinan kotuk. Até agora, nia seidauk halo investimentu ruma iha Timor-leste. Hanesan investidór barak, Sr. Lin mai ho ideia, planu no mehi atu halo investimentu signifikativu iha Timor-Leste, maski ida-ne’e seidauk konkretiza.
Maibé, Sr. Lin hatene kona-ba ha’u-nia atividade umanitária sira, ne’ebé buka apoiu loroloron ba ema kiak sira, família, komunidade no estudante sira. Tanba ne’e, nia hahú fó apoiu, inklui laptop sira, ekipamentu desportu nian, roupa no doasaun boot ba bolsa estudu.
Artigu sira ne’ebé publika la fornese evidénsia faktuál ruma katak Sr. Lin iha ligasaun ho krime organizadu. To’o agora, ita lee de’it alegasaun sira, la ho evidénsia ne’ebé forte.
Timor-Leste buka atu atrai investidór sira. Ita labele halo alegasaun bazeadu ba ema sira simplesmente tanba sira mai husi Ázia, hanesan ema hotu husi nasaun sira Ázia nian iha ligasaun ho krime organizadu. Ne’e maka sala boot ida. Sr. Lin la halo sala ida iha Timor-Leste. Governu maka sei deside atu simu investimentu ruma ka lae, no se investimentu ne’e di’ak ba Timor-Leste, entaun Governu sei deside tuir ida-ne’e.
Iha tinan hirak nia laran, ha’u sempre ko’alia beibeik hodi alerta kona-ba krime organizadu. Iha Timor-Leste rasik, Timor-oan la metidu iha krime organizadu. Maibé, nu’udar nasaun ne’ebé frajil, ita nafatin vulneravel ba ameasa no infiltrasaun husi krime organizadu husi liur. Akontesementu ne’ebé hetan iha Oé-Cusse iha fulan balun liu ba hasoru ho intervensaun Governu ne’ebé lalais hodi taka hotu kedas. Governu mós taka ona operasaun jogu ilegál sira iha Díli laran. Oras ne’e daudaun, ha’u la haree krime organizadu ruma instaladu iha Timor-Leste.
Sr. Frank Lin la hela iha Timor-Leste; nia rezidensia iha Hong Kong no Japaun.
Hamutuk ho Governu no ita-nia sosiedade tomak, ita nafatin alerta ba perigu sira husi krime organizadu. Maibé ha’u labele simu informasaun ne’ebé mai de’it husi relatóriu mídia nian ka husi ema balun iha Timor-Leste — ema sira ne’ebé hakarak aat ba rai ne’e ka buka atu hafo’er Timor-Leste nia naran, entaun sira rasik mak halo informasaun falsu kontra ema ne’ebé mak hakarak halo investimentu iha Timor Leste.
Hanesan ha’u hatete ona ba Jornal ne’e antes:
“Ita tenke sai ema ne’ebé imperdóavel no inflexível kontra krime organizadu. Ha’u lakon maun-alin sira iha luta ba independénsia no Timor-oan barak maka mate atu nasaun ida-ne’e sai livre. Ha’u lakohi atu nasaun ida-ne’e dominadu husi kriminozu sira.”
Ha’u sei kontinua simu investidór sira ne’ebé hakarak mai. Ha’u sei kontinua ko’alia ho ema hotu. Maibé, karik mosu evidénsia ruma ne’ebé konvense ha’u katak investidór ida halo parte iha krime organizadu, Governu no ha’u sei trava sira ho firme no lahó dúvida.
Alegasaun sira ne’ebé laiha fundamentu ne’ebé halo lahó evidénsia hasoru indivíduu ruma sei la simu. Timor-Leste nakloke ba investimentu lejítimu, no ita sei kontinua vijilante nafatin.
J. Ramos-Horta
Prezidente no Laureadu Nobel ba Pás
Dili, 7 Abril 2026
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