RSSUnprecedented pressure on Public Prosecutor and the police
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We wonder why there was so much animosity between former police chief Jan van der Straten and PM Nelson Oduber, his cabinet and the Prosecutor’s office? One only needs to read this article from Amigoe to begin to wonder if the Natalee Holloway investigation was not one along party lines. The former police chief is a speaker at the AVP opposition party function making the following opinions:
“It is very important when a person like Van der Straten that knows the comings and goings in our society, gives such distress signals”.
With such an important investigation like the Natalee Holloway one going on while Van der Straten was the police chief one really does wonder about those so called “distress signals” and whether some one so recently close to the investigation need be making such comments.
ARUBA — During a gathering for the European-Dutch population on the island that was organized by opposition AVP in Club Havana earlier this week, former chief of police Jan van der Straten expressed heavy criticism on the ‘unprecedented pressure’ of the current government on the Public Prosecutor (OM) and the police. Reliable sources within the OM confirmed this situation.
The AVP invited Van der Straten as guest speaker. He used the occasion to talk about the enormous pressure that the Oduber-cabinet had put on the OM and the police in the past period of office. “Not only the system is under unprecedented pressure, but also individuals experience that pressure and are literally being threatened and fired. The government doesn’t even hesitate taking it to the lowest degenerated level.” He even gave a concrete example of intimidation that he experienced: “Isn’t it something when the Prime Minister gives the order to retrieve Van der Straten’s possessions and afterwards comment about these in public?” He didn’t want to go into details about what he called ‘examples where people’s privacy was invaded and where people are locked up because of their actions and expressions.”Van der Straten says that the Oduber-cabinet won’t last: “The nation does not want a prime minister that has time for such matters. Short term thinking and short term actions are not in the interest of the nation and definitely do not contribute to the increase of the integrity. Oduber will not get the absolute majority and he will then get out. Those were his words, not mine.”
He also criticized the government’s security policy: “You don’t increase the safety in Aruba by giving everybody weapons. You don’t increase the safety by establishing shooting associations with an international character. You don’t increase the safety by throwing hunting methods at illegal persons, while you should have taken actions long before they got here. You don’t increase the safety by appointing people in the police corps that have not been screened enough. You don’t increase the safety by continuously undermining the authority of the Corps management with all sorts of memo’s of so-called advisors. You don’t increase the safety by calling police officers ‘scouts’ and continuously undermining the confidence of the Corps. You increase the safety by taking a model position in the field of openness, honesty, integrity, vision, and decisiveness.”
AVP-leader Mike Eman thanked Van der Straten for giving his opinion: “It is very important when a person like Van der Straten that knows the comings and goings in our society, gives such distress signals. I think that we have to take this very serious and that we cannot continue like this. A radical change is necessary after September 23rd.
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17 Responses to “Unprecedented pressure on Public Prosecutor and the police”
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Fascinating how van der Straaten has the balls to criticize pressure on Aruban LE, after he failed to recuse himself from the Holloway investigation.
Tito Lacle, from Aruba Today, asked van der Straaten directly if he was friends with the prime suspect’s father, Paulus van der Sloot – and who himself is or was a suspect – and van der Straaten replied “yes”.
Aruban LE has no credibility or deserves any respect from any Aruban or American when they can have a friend of the suspect in a murder/rape RUN THE INVESTIGATION. Is it any wonder why this investigation was worthless?
Can you publish the mailing address of officials in Aruba?
HarryTho Friday Evening Natalee Holloway Update And Commentary
Jim Hammer believes that the prosecutor should have had the decency to inform the Twitty-Holloway camp that they had no evidence in the case a long time before the recent release of the suspects.
got to DoctorPhil.com and you can find the addresses for everyone in Aruba and the Netherlands…write them….tell them you will not visit Aruba until the truth is told and Natalie is found.
Beth Twitty should write a book about every thing that happened to her since Natalee disappeared, including all the statements that the suspects told her, also the statements from the police. She should sell it in America and put it on display in Aruba. Nobody should every visit Aruba again.
If you want to write to the Aruban government:
Govenor General Fredis Refunjol
Plaza Hnery Eman 3
Oranjestad, Aruba
Prime Minister Nelson Oduber
L.G. Smith Boulevard 76
Oranjestad, Aruba
Minister of Justice Rudy Croes
Victor Hugo Stratt 8
Oranjestad, Aruba
Chief of Police R.F. Bernadina
Wilheminastraat 10
Oranjestad, Aruba
Minister of Tourism Edison Brieson
L.G. Smith Boulevard 76
Oranjestad, Aruba
Attorney General Theresa Croes Fernandez-Pedra
Havenstrat 2
Oranjestad, Aruba
I appreciate the information Scared Monkeys has provided, I usually find it here before I hear it anywhere else. I am unsure if you published the info to write to the Aruban Government or not, but here it is …
If you want to contact the government of The Netherlands:
Queen
Hare Majesteit Koningin Beatrix
Kabinet van de Koningin
76 Paleis Den Haag
Den Haag, Nederland
Justice Department
Minister of Justice Mr. J.P.H. Donner
Schedeldockshaven 100
Oranjestad, Aruba Den Haag, Nederland
tel.001.70.370.79.11
fax: 001.70.370.79.00
Thanks for all the information. I will be writing letters, and I hope that all of the people that have sent the Holloways emails & letters will write, also. This whole ordeal is appauling.
We must express our concern about the Natalee Holloway situation by writing to all of the officials published on the Dr. Phil website. They must know that “It Is Not O.K.”
and Americans will not visit Aruba and give them our money, which will negatively affect their economy. It Is Not O.K. that young women are given date rape drugs and their government officials stand by doing nothing about it. What is wrong with these people?
Does anyone know what it would take to get the U.S. to issue a “travel advisory” for Aruba?
So now we are suppose to agree with JVan… any political party that he backs would make me suspicious.
When I read the headlines in the Amigoe my interest was aroused as to the influence that the government and other authorities might have exerted on the investigation. Since it was about the time of the daily newscast on ATV I switched the tv on. I had not read the newspaper article at that time.
I expected to see an objective report of a former police commissioner and civil servant about the interference of other government officials in the ongoing police investigation, but much to my surprise it turned out to be a highly emotional campaing speech seeking support for the opposition party and its leader, at the same time bashing the government and its ministers. By doing so, Jan van de Straaten has lost all credibility he had with me and probably with much of the population. The esteem I had for Jan is totally gone.
If the govenment was meddling in police investigation Jan should have straightened his back and immediately requested restraint from everyone, including Natalee’s family, in order not to endanger the investigation. He did not and so he might have contributed to an investigation that leaves a bad taste.
Should we boycott Boulder CO while we’re at it? Give a break! Boycotting Aruba will only hurt the people of Aruba who have helped so much in this case through searches etc. Is this the thanks the US is going to give them. Simply not right.
look at http://www.arubatruth.com
At bottom of page is letter from Jug Twitty to Alabama Governor Reilly asking him NOT TO PURSUE A BOYCOTT OF ARUBA.
Hey, givepeaceachance…
I think you are a little “light-in-the-loafers” too! I really DID boycott Boulder, CO. No lying. chiseling cheat is going to get any of my hard earned dough.
But if you feel differently, just send your paycheck to me, you oaf.
As far as “giving peace a CHANCE…” They got the chance when they got our tourists. Then they BLEW THE CHANCE, when they covered up the crime.
And, by the way, if all you liberal-bleeding-hearts out there had been around during the American Revolution, you would have been shot or hanged for treason… or if you had gotten your “politically correct” way, there would have been no America, no Star Spangled Banner, no Greatest Nation on the Face of the Earth, that has enriched the lives of every foreign country on earth. Get your heads out of the sand, and get real. You’re just a bunch of spoiled brats, who never had to work for a living, yourselves.
Sincerely,
John
The Arubans have had four months to ‘help’ and they have done nothing but sort through some garbage and sand dunes. It is very simple: somebody on Aruba knows who Natalee was with LAST- after Joran and K2 delivered her. If those people won’t tell what they know to Beth and the FBI, not LE, then they better get used to the idea of living in New Haiti. It is too bad that so many Arubans will suffer, but they had their chance to help and they blew it.
As for a travel advisory, the U.S. State Department will have to be convinced that it is very dangerous for U.S. citizens to visit the Netherland Antilles. I guess we can start by writing the State Department. I have one Dutch citizen and one Aruban citizen who have both told me that writing the Queen of the Netherlands will do more good than a boycott. Apparently she has the power to step in and clean this mess up.
…interesting that Van der Straten says now that he and paulus are friends…
Thanks for helping Beth Find her daughters killer. I will be writting the Aruben government and have crossed Auruba off my vacation destination list. These criminals need to be rearrested . How can Aruban mothers rest at night with the two brothers loose.