Ambassador Maria Paixão was asked by media if she knew where in Portugal Pires lived.  

“I have never received information about Emilia Pires and where she lives,”  Paixão replied.

Paixão said Pires had not registered at the embassy in Portugal as was normal protocol for Timorese citizens living in the country.

Paixão said an investigation into Pires’ whereabouts had uncovered several reported sightings in Estoral, on the Portuguese Riviera.

The Ambassador said that the search would continue until Pires was found so she could be taken back to Timor-Leste to confront her charge.

Pires left Timor-Leste in September 2016 after she was sentenced to seven year’s jail by the District Court in Dili over charges she corruptly awarded a US$ 811,040 dollar contract to her husband's company in Melbourne.

At the time Pires maintained  she was innocent and forced to leave Timor-Leste to have her appeal referred to a court in Portugal on the grounds Timor-Leste judges were biased against her and denied her a fair trial.

Her defence has argued she never approved or signed the contracts.