Dili, June 30, 2026 (Media Democracia) – Dili Court of First Instance (TJPID) On Monday (29/06/2026), conducted the first interrogation hearing for 61 Indonesian citizens in the Tibar Scam Call Centre case.
In the courtroom, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, through Prosecutor Matias Soares, charged the 61 accused with four crimes for their suspected involvement in scam call center activities in Tibar. The accused were detained through a search and seizure operation carried out by security authorities last Friday (26/06).
The Public Prosecutor charged the accused with criminal association under Article 188, illegal gambling operations under Article 322, money laundering under Article 313, and tax fraud under Article 314 of the Timor-Leste Penal Code.
The 61 accused have the following initials: DRW, AV, HAA, GA, AW, MR, NU, SF, DAM, LH, RKL, AR, UHSD, WP, GS, AS, E, MIT, SDL, RH, MI, SEBA, ARP, VR, FS, MS, MS, IM, AS, W, SR, MSFS, MAD, A, BF, MRS, ABS, R, JR, LTM, FR, MR, R, AS, ACY, JRD, MRP, G, MRS, UR, SS, AM, KLT, S, R, RJ, K, AS, H, and D.
The Court, through Duty Judge Ercilia de Jesus, has so far only completed the identification of two accused, RW and AV.
For this case, the Public Prosecutor’s Office registered it under NUK: 227/26.PNSIK with the crime type listed as a drug case.
Meanwhile, the case occurred on Friday (26/06) at around 8:00 AM, when the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL), through the Directorate of Criminal Investigation Service (DSIK), detected suspected activities in the Tibar area, Bazartete Administrative Post, Liquiçá Municipality. The location was being used by foreign nationals to carry out scam call center activities to defraud people.
Therefore, police immediately conducted a search and seizure, successfully detaining 61 suspects and confiscating criminal objects such as laptops, mobile phones, and Starlink devices that the suspects used to carry out the illicit Scam Call activities.
Report By: Estefánia Cardoso
Photo: Estefánia Cardoso