NOVA Interview with Paul Van der Sloot

The following is the transcript and translation of the NOVA interview from over the weekend with Paul van der Sloot on the house search of the last two days. Priceless that he adds a gratuitous plug for his son’s book during an interview designed to focus on a search of his home.

Introduction: Today two years after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway again a house search has been conducted in the parents house of JvdS on Aruba. Still the main suspect in the murder- or disappearance. case of Natalee Holloway. Not just another house search… This time more then 25 forensic experts from Holland and members of the KLPD (Corps Nat. Police Services) and they re-started the investigation. They were supposed to have serious leads that could point to the murderer. On the telephone, PvdS the father of Joran…

Nova: You are at Aruba… Can you tell what has happened today at your house… and yesterday?
PvdS: Yes, they started a house search yesterday. From around ten o’clock on and they went on till the evening. And this morning they continued that and around two o’clock Aruban time they ended the search.

Nova: How many people were there at your house?
PvdS: Well there were some 20 people from the NL’s and some Aruban detectives. But it were especially the Dutch that I saw do the searching.
Nova: When did you hear for the first time this all would be happening?
PvdS: That was when the house search started.
Nova: And were there things taken from the house?
PvdS: Yes they took my diary-notes with them, they took diary-notes from Anita and some letters… That’s what they took… And the computer they’ve taken but I got that back already.
Nova: And I understood that they have sought for things in a different way…? Some drilling has been going on…?
PvdS: Yes that’s right… They came with enormous equipment.., sonar equipment.., drills.., and these kinds of thin tubes… And they have, well you can hardly believe it, they have really searched for Natalee in our garden…
Nova: Well, that’s what we have understood as well from the people leading the investigation.., namely that they were looking for the corpse or the remains of that…
PvdS: Yes.., yes.., it’s uhh.., it’s uhh.., it’s uuh… indeed unbelievable… that uhhh, that… that they do that… I had uhhh… I had never believed that could be possible… That uhhh, that uuh… that they seriously would do that… (grins)… But they did it anyway…
Nova: Well that indicates that police at Aruba and in the NL’s still think there’s something to be found at your place… and that you are still a suspect in the case?
PvdS: No, no, it is.. uh, I.., I am no longer a suspect in the case… It is about Joran… But… Yes they are now reassured… They haven’t found anything!
Nova: Uhhm… You don’t know that for sure I assume… Have they taken traces with them from your place or are you sure about that?
PvdS: Yes I’m sure they didn’t found anything, yes (bit hesitant).
Nova: Yes. Are you again interrogated by the police?
PvdS: Uh.. they have.. I don’t talk to the police! That is something that HAS been! I’ve made that very clear! I will not talk with the police again.
Nova: Was there a request from the Dutch police or the Aruban police-off’s to speak to you again?
PvdS: They uhh.., they uhh, uh, picked me up at the court… I just had a uh, defended uh, a client in a penal-case, and uh, then uh, a detective came to me who said he wanted to talk to me. And then I made him very clear that I didn’t feel for that.. And next he told me that they were conducting a house search. And then I uhh, I got in my car and drove here…
Nova: Eight detectives have traveled from the NL’s to Aruba. Again… for this case. There are 25 workers from the Forensic Institute that came by your house uhh, what do you think of that?
PvdS: Well, yes uh as a tax-payer uhh in the NL’s I would uh, wrinkle my forehead… What I saw uhh.. The way they uhhh… Yes these uhh… Our house was a sort of resort… They’d put tables outside… Chairs… Uh drinks… Uh lots of food… Uh… Making lots of pleasure… These uhh, these uhh, these boys and girls had the time of their lives and uhh… And I welcome it to them off course… But uhh, then you must not uhh, not uhh, expect uhh, that uhhh, you are being taken seriously… considered being busy with an investigation…a
Nova: Mr. vdSloot were are told that the police service.., the NL’s police service the KLPD had serious leads that could possibly could lead to a breakthrough in the case…
PvdS: Yes… Well yes… These were not disclosed to me…
Nova: It must be a comfort to you if indeed there is a breakthrough because you are convinced of the innocence of your son.
PvdS: Yes, that’s right…
Nova: (Waits for elaboration on that) … … … So the searching does make sense? Maybe for you as well?
PvdS: Well look… Uhh… You can always look at it in a positive way… They always look… They always look for a… It’s an enormous violation of your private life.. That’s uhhh.., that’s uuhh… You should experience that… to really really feel that… It’s truly very annoying when people… – strangers and known – uhh go through al your.., all your stuff… That is really uh, an enormous violation of your private life… And uhh… in that sense I uhh am very angry about that… But uh when you look at it in a positive way… Yes… then you hope now… that now finally there will come an end to… This is now the 4th search of the house… And that they uhh.., let’s say… Go sit/ride on the right track now… And uhh… Or in any case… uhh.. wonder if uhh indeed this is all uh.. about a crime… Because you as well started with… uh… with… uh… telling that… Yes… “Who is the murderer of Natalee Holloway…” But then I think you are one step ahead… It is still uhh…
Nova: It is possible that she’s just missing? … I want to ask you one more question mr. VdS… This all comes at a time… Your son still is a suspect in the case… Uhhm… And at the same time has written a book about the whole matter… Do you think that’s a correct thing to do at this time?
PvdS: Well he did that as a coping-process. And I think that is very good. When you… when you write… uhh.. then, then, then…. Then you put things in the right order… And… Well… well he did that… I had him on the telephone today and I notice that… (can’t hear) … is now. He can now put it behind him…
Nova: Yes…
PvdS: And you should almost think that this kind of action of the KLPD uhh… is some sort of uhhh publicity stunt for the book…
Nova: Yes…
PvdS: I saw by the way, today that uhh, uhh, uhh, that the people (of the KLPD) were reading copies of the book… So… And I saw them on and on.., well yes… laugh at what they read… So apparently…
Nova: Well… well… We have…
PvdS: … it was worth reading….
Nova: Well we have to leave it here… Anyway… Thanks you for the explanation.. From Aruba… Paul vd Sloot . Thank you