Today, September 5th, 2023, the handover ceremony from the former leadership to the new leadership of the National Intelligence Service (SNI) took place at the Government Palace in Dili.
Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, through Order No. 006/GPM/IX/2023, after “prior communication and consultation with the President of the Republic”, appointed Longuinhos Rabindranath Tagore Domingues de Castro Monteiro and Egas de Araújo Moniz, as General Director, and Deputy General Director, respectively, of the National Intelligence Service.
In the Order, the Prime Minister states that the decision is based on “the recognised suitability, integrity, technical and professional capacity, university training and extensive previous experience in legal and security matters of Mr Longuinhos Monteiro, as well as Mr Egas Moniz’s extensive experience in the intelligence services”.
The new head of the National Intelligence Service, Longuinhos Monteiro, a law graduate, has already held several important public positions, namely Attorney General of the Republic of Timor-Leste, General Commander of the National Police of Timor-Leste, and Minister of Interior in the 6th Constitutional Government. In 2012, he was honoured by the President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta, with the insignia of the Order of Timor-Leste.
The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira, in his speech during the ceremony, “on behalf of the 9th Constitutional Government and, in particular, on behalf of H.E. the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão”, acknowledged “the dedication of the Former General Director” and stressed that “intelligence, as an extremely sensitive service of the State, is not a precise science, it is more of an art whose evolution requires a lot of discipline, creativity and innovation”.
Minister Agio Pereira argued that “today, more than ever, after 14 years of existence, it is essential to provide the SNI with appropriate conditions, including improvements in human resources, with high quality, to increase the response capacity at all essential levels to serve the State and its sovereignty better”.
He also assured that “the Government will continue to support the efforts of the General Director and his team to ensure the best possible working conditions and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of this agency to anticipate surprises against the State and against national sovereignty”.
In his inauguration speech, Longuinhos Monteiro expressed his gratitude for the trust placed in him by the Prime Minister and pledged to “lead the SNI with determination, dedication and passion, for the sake of defence, security and, as a whole, the integrity of this institution and our sovereignty”.
The new General Director of the SNI argued that “the agency must be a model of ethical and legal conduct, ensuring that its actions are always based on the application of the law and the integrity of our justice system and our sovereignty”. He assumed that “the SNI plays a crucial role in safeguarding our national interests as a whole, particularly in the critical areas of the virtual world, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity”.