RSSAruban Misadventures in Air Travel
Ah, Aruba, you do handle your airport so well. Fortunately, you have Ruben Trappenberg to act as the liason for you, otherwise things could look really bad. We all know that Lear has done a horrible job with putting together their planes and that the radios on them have problems.
It could never be the Airports faulty systems or problems with the documented Aruba Airport radio system could it. Never…
What really bothers me is that you imposed a fine on an air-ambulance. All they were doing was trying to transport sick people, and you will not let them leave before coughing up some money. But I guess when you are facing budget shortfalls, everyone coming to Aruba is considered a cash cow.
Airplane lands on racetrack Palo Marga
ARUBA – An air-ambulance with a patient on board landed on the racetrack of Palo Marga on Tuesday afternoon around 14:30. The pilot accidentally confused the racetrack with the runway of the Aruban airport. Nobody was injured during the landing.
The air-ambulance a Lear 35 had 2 pilots, a doctor, a nurse, the patient and his wife on board. It came from Orlando and was on his way to Brazil via Aruba for fuel. In the airspace around Aruba, the pilot lost radio contact with the air traffic control of Aruba. The pilot mistakenly saw the racetrack of Palo Marga for the airport of Aruba. After a tentative investigation, the aircraft could take off again in order to refuel at the airport. The Public Prosecutor imposed a fine on the pilot for negligence during flying. With this landing, the pilot had endangered the traffic safety of the airspace.
Of course, the Aruban Aviation Authority is a noble and righteous group. Corruption could never occur on the Happy Island. I mean, awarding all of the concessions to one individual before the official announcement could never happen. And if that person is suspected of committing money laundering and fraud should be given access to all of the behind the scenes activity at an airport should not be a concern. Well read this article and see why if Rudy Lacle gets the concessions at the airport, safety may affected.
Discussion on granting of concessions airport
Doubts have arisen about whether the procedures behind the scenes of the airport are indeed as beautiful as the recently improved aspect of Reina Beatrix.
ARUBA — Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) absolutely denies the fact that there were irregularities with the granting of concessions in the airport building. “We are still negotiating, thus the final decision still has to come”, says spokesperson Ruben Trapenberg. According to him, privilege of a certain businessman is out of the question.
Mid January, several newspapers placed announcements of the forthcoming public contract. The reorganization of the airport also includes changes to the retail businesses. Interested companies could register and they received detailed information on the plans and also the requirements for qualifying for business space at the airport. There had already been a selection for the best businesses and these were invited to take part in the negotiations. The companies that fit best in the plans of AAA will be announced in the coming weeks.
Milton Ponson, leading man of Rainbow Warriors International, sounded the alarm. Somebody informed him that AAA had granted almost all the concessions to the companies of Richard Lacle. He says that the AAA has violated the rules for tender. That was reason for Rudy Lampe (RED) to question the matter. Apparently, Lacle is connected with possible penal offences, like money laundering and fraud. The American justice suspects him of laundering government money via all sorts of devious channels and of committing fraud with the build of the Piarco airport in Trinidad, and with Calmaquip that was involved with the renovation of the Reina Beatrix airport. Lampe is of the opinion that due to the above suspicions, this person should not be considered at all for concessions.
I wonder if one of the concessions was for a radio system that works so well.
But do not worry potential travelers to Aruba, the righteous Ruben Trappenburg tells us that all is under control and we have nothing to worry about… I mean, Ruben has always been straight with us, right?
Real Estate Madness In California
You know the real estate market is crazy in California when there are 9 times as many real estate agents as there are doctors in the state. The recent slowdown is going to create havoc in the California real estate market.
Read the rest on California Real Estate Agents.
Also at the Real Estate Bloggers.
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Aruba Needs Greenspan To Help Curb MEP
Because if the ruling party, MEP, has its way the country will be experiencing inflation at a record level after they enact a series of legislation that will wreak havoc with the country and cause widespread inflation.
During last years elections, there was very little debate as Aruba was scared to death that anyone would mention Natalee Holloway out loud. So the partys had a non debate and MEP won by a very slim margin. Now the chickens are coming home to roost.
Facing dwindling tax revenue due to airport revenue dropping, tourism dissipating, and cruise ships fleeing, the MEP Party is looking for new ways to generate revenue for the island of Aruba’s government. Notice I did not say island of Aruba, they could solve that if they worked hard to find Natalee.
Nope, I said find revenue for the government to continue their Ostrich Agenda. So now they are contemplating a series of taxes and governmental fees that will reduce drastically the purchasing power of the people of the island, increase the cost for the few tourists still coming to the island, just to make sure that MEP has enough money to spend on itself running the government. That will keep the people happy and overlook all of the past failures of the country this past year.
As AM Digital says so well, “It is always said the people will get the Government that they deserve and this also proves it now.”
Natalee Holloway Aruban Suspect Carousel; Arrested Suspect Today, Gone Tomorrow
As has been reported with the latest turn in the never ending carousel ride called the Natalee Holloway Witness revolving carousel, “the latest lead in the Holloway case evaporates into thin air.”
One day Guido Wever is arrested in The Netherlands and charged in ”assisting in the murder, heavy battery and kidnapping” of Natalee Holloway. This coming after he had been previously questioned at the outset of this investigation. The next week he is released for lack of evidence as if it was nothing. Rather peculiar that one goes from public enemy number one with direct ties to Joran Van der Sloot, the primary suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, and being extradited back to Aruba, to released on a lack of evidence. My what a difference an extreme high priced attorney makes.
The man, identified only as “Guido W.,” 19, was freed unconditionally with the
consent of Aruba prosecutors after six “long, hard days” of questioning, attorney Gerard Spong said. He was the ninth person arrested and jailed in the case. All have been freed for lack of evidence.
However, Guido W. remained a suspect and agreed to be available for questioning when summoned by police, Spong told The Associated Press.
So what was his explanation as to the scratches on his face? The ones that so many witnesses said they saw in the days following Natalee Holloway’s disappearance?
The latest lead in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway evaporated Tuesday when Dutch police released a man identified by witnesses as having long, deep scratches on his face shortly after the Alabama teen vanished in Aruba nearly a year ago.
Guido W. was detained after five witnesses claimed to have seen him with deep, 3-inch-long scratches on his face that could have come from human nails, Spong said.
But those witness accounts were delivered eight months after the disappearance, he said. Police had questioned the teenager three times before he left Aruba on June 8, and no one had reported seeing suspicious facial scars.
His attorney, Gerard Spong, said that Wever’s tennis coach stated that he saw no such scratches. Sprong then basically called the witnesses liars. However, for what purpose would they lie? Maybe Wever was wearing make-up?
The defense also had testimony from the suspect’s tennis coach that he was not scarred and photographs of him from that period, the lawyer said.
“It was obvious that this was a fake story,” he said.
Spong said the witnesses were fellow casino workers, but he declined to speculate on the motives behind their statements.
Why does the story necessarily have to be fake? Because it behooves a defense attorney’s client to say so and in turn besmirch the character of others? What else would a defense attorney say that was paid big dollars to defend his client?
Guido Wever was an aspiring male model. I am sure that Wever knows how to put on make up. I am sure he is familiar with base, cover up and many other facial cosmetic products. Why were the casino employees lying? Not just one casino worker or two, but five came forward and stated, “to have seen him with deep, 3-inch-long scratches on his face that could have come from human nails.”
Guido Wever worked as a croupier at the Excelsior casino in the Holiday Inn where Natalee Holloway stayed. Natalee and her friends frequented the casino during their trip on multiple occasions. Wever is a known friend of Joran Van der Sloot and was with him the day after playing tennis and that night gambling. Wever then takes off for The Netherlands nine days after Natalee disappears. Wever’s attorney states that his departure was planned in advance.
But Spong said the young man’s father booked the air ticket to the Netherlands a month earlier, long before Holloway landed on the island.
Police also questioned him about the white car he drove in Aruba. A white car was seen near where Holloway disappeared, but Spong said “half the population” of Aruba drives similar cars.
I am sure that Spong produced the credit card receipt or the ticket showing the 
purchase date? Or the airline provided confirmation to this and they did not just take him for his word. Had Wever given the casino any formal notice that he was quitting his job? Had Wever told any other casino employees or friends of his impending departure? How about Joran? Would have been a great question to ask Joran Van der Sloot during the interrogations as to whether he know if Wever was leaving to the Netherlands.
The remarks regarding the car are a typical defense attorney response. half the island may drive white cars attorney Spong. However, half the island was not friends with Joran Van der Sloot, the last know person to be seen with Natalee Holloway. Half the island also did not play tennis with Joran the following day and go gambling with him later. That is hardly an answer to a question.
I am sure your client has no problem stating where he was the night that Natalee Holloway disappeared and what he did the next two days. That would be pretty easy to answer for someone with nothing to hide. Let’s just hope the police actually asked these questions.
Then comes one of the most amazing defenses I think many of us have ever seen or 
heard. Move over “Twinkie Defense”, there is a new defense in town. Why is Guido Wever innocent of any wrong doing of the charges against him of “assisting in the murder, heavy battery and kidnapping”. Wever’s attorney states, ‘My client is gay.” SO WHAT! What does gay have to do with assisting in a murder, kidnapping and heavy battery? Are we supposed to believe a gay person has never done such things before? No one charged him with rape. For what purpose would Gerard Spong use the “gay card”? With all the privacy laws that Dutch law claims to have like providing an individuals name, his lawyer comes out and states he’s gay? So much for that privacy issue.
Netherlands — The lawyer for 19-year-old Guido Wever, the latest person to be arrested and released in connection with the disappearance of American teen Natalee Holloway, said Tuesday that his client did not make a good suspect because he is gay.
‘My client is gay,” lawyer Gerard Spong told FOX News, adding that Wever sometimes wears makeup.
I still fail to see how Spong’s admission that his client is gay and wears make-up somehow gets Wever off the hook. If he was not involved and is innocent that is one thing, but the reasons given by his attorney are foolish at best. If anything, it is more damning to have made such a comment.
OK, Guido Wever is gay and wears make-up. As stated earlier when we only 
discussed that Wever was a male model he knew how to use facial products. Now there is an admission that he wears make-up and obviously knows how to apply it.
Could we not also now surmise thanks to Wever’s attorney that Wever wore make-up to cover up any scratches that others may have seen at one point on his face? Could we also not speculate that Wever may have helped Joran apply make up to his face if there were any scratches on it, hypothetically? They did supposedly play tennis the following day. Has anyone ever seen Joran wearing any form of cover up make-up on?
One really has to wonder how we get from attempting to extradite a suspect back to Aruba and charges of “assisting in the murder, heavy battery and kidnapping” to released on not enough evidence. What a difference a week, some phone calls and a high priced attorney makes. One thing is for certain, these actions and comedy of errors that are far from laughable are being watched and remembered.
The release of Guido W. apparently leaves Aruban authorities no closer to cracking a case that has generated worldwide media attention and tarnished the island’s reputation. Islanders fear that Aruba, which gets 70 percent of its gross domestic product from tourism, will be permanently scarred by the mystery.
Posted May 23, 2006 by Scared Monkeys Aruba, boycott, Joran Van der Sloot, Natalee Holloway, WTF | 3 comments |
Beth Twitty’s Premonition: Natalee Holloway’s mom not too hopeful over latest arrest of Guido Wever
Beth Twitty has seen this same act play over and over in the last year in Aruba since
her daughter Natalee Holloway went missing May 30, 2005. First there was the suspicious arrest and release of two black security guards. Then came the arrests of Joran Van der Sloot, Deepak Kalpoe and Satish Kalpoe. Then the arrests of Paul Van der Sloot and Steve Croes. Then they are both released. Then the Kalpoe brothers are released only to be rearrested and re-released again. Joran Van der Sloot is then released. GVC is arrested and released. Finally, Guido Wever is arrested and released.
Is it any wonder why Beth Twitty was not too hopeful over the latest arrest of Guido Wever? When I met with her last week, Beth wanted to be positive, but I could tell she had a barrier up to not get too hopeful so that she would not get too disappointed if the arrest turned out to be like all the others.
Speaking to reporters after a speech at Lonoke High School, Beth Holloway Twitty said she was “guardedly optimistic” about the latest arrest in the disappearance of her daughter, who went missing nearly a year ago on a senior graduation trip to the Caribbean island.
“An arrest is better than no arrest, so hopefully it will bring about something,” she said.
Twitty said that though authorities have arrested and released a number of suspects, there have been few answers.
“I think we got really caught up with the arrest of G.V.C.,” Twitty said, referring to suspect Geoffrey van Cromvoirt, who was arrested and released last month.
Having met and talked to Beth Twitty on several occasions what else could one do with any information or arrest that comes out of Aruba but act with ”guardedly optimism”? Guido Wever is arrested almost one year after Natalee’s disappearance.
He worked in the Excelsior casino of the Holiday Inn where Natalee Holloway stayed
and where Joran Van der Sloot gambled. Wever is a known friend of Joran Van der Sloot. They supposedly played tennis the day after Natalee Holloway went missing and later went to casinos and gambled. Wever had been previously questioned by authorities in both Aruba and the Netherlands. Wever quit his casino job and left abruptly for the Netherlands shortly after Natalee went missing. Was this planned in advance or was it a spur of the moment action? If so, why? Seems it would be pretty simple to find out when one purchased a plane ticket. Did he ever previously mention to the Excelsior casino that he would be leaving, or did he just up and leave?
All this makes it so odd that Wever would be arrested now and charged in a crime against Natalee Holloway. Why did this not take place last year when much of the same information was known about Wever and he was questioned? That would have seemed to have made more sense, but so little has in any of this investigation.
Beth Twitty was not hopeful with this arrest and her gut feeling turned out to be correct. Guido Wever was released today as the prosecutors decided not to hold him any longer. The emotional roller coaster for the family of Natalee Holloway continues and the farce of what is called the Natalee Holloway investigation.
One thing is for certain, Beth Twitty is not in any way about to give up.
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands No trip back to Aruba for a suspect arrested in the Netherlands in the disappearance of Mississippi native Natalee Holloway.
The man was released today and his lawyer tells Dutch television there wasn’t enough evidence. Holloway disappeared last year on a high school trip.
A Dutch court official says a case in The Hague district involving a request to send the suspect to Aruba for further investigation has been dropped.
The suspect’s lawyer tells Dutch television there was not enough evidence to hold his client.
Suspect in Natalee Holloway Case Released From Detention in the Netherlands
The release of the suspect, identified only as “Guido W.” because of Dutch privacy laws, means he will not be transferred to Aruba, said the court official, Martine de Bruijn. His lawyer, Gerard Sprong, told Dutch television there was not enough evidence to hold his client.
A spokesman for the Dutch national prosecutor’s office declined to comment, saying the case was in the hands of the Aruban public prosecutor.
(ABC News)
