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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Kate Lamb and Ariel Bogle

Private jets, deserted shores and an unbuilt resort: alleged links to sanctioned ‘scam’ empire revealed in Timor-Leste

United Nations Prince Group TimorLeste United States Chen Zhi AB Yang Jian OCCRP Australia the Prince Group
An illustration of a business carrying a briefcase on the beachside plot of land
A planned resort beside Dili airport in Timor-Leste is at the heart of a four-month investigation by the Guardian and Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project into a mysterious cryptocurrency network known as AB. Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian design

Guests were enticed with the promise of luxury villas overlooking aquamarine seas; a world-first crypto resort where the tech elite could commune over the latest digital innovation in opulent surrounds.

The promotional material from June last year pitched a sprawling, futuristic development that would hug the coastline of Timor-Leste, one of the world’s poorest countries, and donate a percentage of profits to philanthropy.

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