Bertie Ahern Denies Links to Timor-Leste Crypto Resort Scam

A joint investigation by The Guardian and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has linked a proposed cryptocurrency resort in Timor-Leste to individuals indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly operating forced-labour compounds in Cambodia.

The project, known as the AB Digital Technology Resort, was pitched as a luxury hub in Tasi Tolu, Dili, where the tech elite could gather to discuss digital innovations in opulent surroundings. Promotional materials released in June 2025 described a futuristic development along the coastline of Timor-Leste that would donate a percentage of its profits to philanthropy.

However, an investigative visit to the site in February 2026 revealed that the proposed resort is currently an empty plot of land dotted with shrubs, separated from the Dili airport by a barbed-wire fence.

Links to Sanctioned Entities

The investigation into the obscure cryptocurrency and blockchain network known as AB revealed ties between the resort development and the Prince Group. The U.S. Government has seized $15 billion in Bitcoin from Prince Group chief executive Chen Zhi.

Chen Zhi is alleged to have forced individuals to work in compounds to carry out cryptocurrency frauds that stole billions of dollars from victims worldwide. Three people connected to the Timor-Leste development have been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for their alleged roles in operating these Cambodian forced-labour compounds.

The investigation found that Chen and two other individuals were involved in a plan by AB Chain, a blockchain network company, to develop the beachside resort. The proposal indicated that between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of the resort’s profits would be directed to an Irish charity.

Role of Bertie Ahern

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has been linked to the project through his role as director and chairman of the AB Foundation Company, a position he assumed in March 2025. The company’s only other director is Chinese national Danjing Wen, and the company secretary is Wen’s daughter, Luci.

Ahern has denied any knowledge of the proposed resort development and stated that a quote published in his name promoting the project was manufactured. He told The Irish Times that he has zero to do with the crypto resort.

Ahern explained that his involvement with the AB group originated from his chairmanship of the Interaction Council. The Interaction Council is an international organization that recruits former heads of state and government to address political, economic and social problems confronting humanity.

Corporate Structure and Allegations

The AB network appears to have utilized a complex structure involving AB Chain and the AB Foundation Company to pursue the development in Timor-Leste. While the project was marketed as a center for digital innovation and philanthropy, the OCCRP and The Guardian report that it is connected to a mysterious cryptocurrency network and figures associated with scam syndicates.

The U.S. Sanctions and indictments against associates of the Prince Group underscore the legal risks associated with the network’s activities. The seizure of $15 billion in Bitcoin represents one of the largest such actions related to cryptocurrency fraud and forced labour.

China’s foreign affairs ministry has stated that authorities are collaborating to combat cross-border scams, including the pig-butchering scams often associated with the forced-labour compounds described in the U.S. Indictments.