Dave Holloway’s Reaction To Rep. Bachus’ comments Regarding Aruba

The Abrams Report: December 16, 2005

We all know that Dave Holloway has been a man of few words. He has always been about actions rather than words. This is all the reason why he gave Aruban authorities every opportunity to properly investigate his daughter Natalee’s disappearance. How are these words to Aruba to get them off square one and take some action?

You know if Aruba is going to take on the responsibility of bringing in almost a million tourists a year and 70 percent of their income comes from the United States, they need to take on the responsibility to have a properly trained, a properly staffed and a properly funded police department.

The rest of the interview:

ABRAMS: Under pressure, Aruban authorities spent the day meeting with officials in Washington for a detailed review of the investigation into Natalee Holloway’s disappearance. The Aruban investigation has come under a lot of criticism. The governor of Alabama even joined Natalee’s family calling for a boycott of Aruba. Today Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus, who organized the meeting, seemed to be defending the Arubans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. SPENCER BACHUS Â ®, ALABAMA: I have asked them if the Arubans are not cooperating with you, if they’re shutting you out (UNINTELLIGIBLE) case, please let me know. And they have never advised me of a lack of cooperation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABRAMS: They is the FBI, so is a boycott still necessary? Is it working?

Joining me now is Dave Holloway, Natalee Holloway’s father. Jossy Mansur joins me, managing editor of Aruba’s “Diario” newspaper and Kathy Sudeikis, who is president and CEO of the American Society of Travel Agents. Thank you all for coming on the program. Appreciate it.

Dave, let me start with you. It sure does sound when you listen to the congressman as if they’re are all getting along, that he’s not really being particularly critical of the Aruban authorities, et cetera.

DAVE HOLLOWAY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY’S FATHER (via phone): You know, I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to Representative Bachus yet, but I do know this. You know if Aruba is going to take on the responsibility of bringing in almost a million tourists a year and 70 percent of their income comes from the United States, they need to take on the responsibility to have a properly trained, a properly staffed and a properly funded police department.

ABRAMS: Well Dave, let me…

(CROSSTALK)

ABRAMS: … let you listen to this from Congressman Bachus today.

HOLLOWAY: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BACHUS: I think that the people I have met with, they are professional. They are devoting a tremendous amount of resources to the case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABRAMS: And when he talks about them as professionals, talks about how much resources they have devoted to the case, I mean it sure does sound like the congressman is saying look, they are doing everything that they can.

HOLLOWAY: Well you know this case all falls back on the situation where the Arubans admitted that they failed in the first 10 days and that’s where the training issues recognizing where a case needs to be handled. The lead detective is a narcotics agent and nothing against a narcotics agent, but you know you would think that they would have somebody better trained and better equipped than a narcotics agent handling the lead investigation.

ABRAMS: Jossy, this is—the Aruban authorities are in Washington because they are concerned about the very issue that Dave Holloway is talking about, which is tourism, right?

JOSSY MANSUR, “DIARIO” MANAGING EDITOR: Right.

ABRAMS: And what are they hoping to achieve?

MANSUR: Well they are hoping to in one way or another to avoid the boycott, which I am also against because I don’t know see what kind of positive results it can bring for the case.

(No instead Jossy Mansur thinks that news paper articles referring rumors and unsubstantiated nonsense is some how going to create a positive result)

(The rest of the interview)