The Netherlands Worried about Corruption in Aruba … What Took Them So Long To Figure This One?

Say it isn’t so. The Netherlands is worried about corruption in Aruba. The hell you say? Corruption is Aruba … NEVER!!! Nepotism and cronyism in Aruba … REALLY??? Because its not like there wasn’t any corruption that took place during the disappearance and investigation of Natalee Holloway.

Hirsch Ballin responds that the Aruban Public Prosecution has taken various such cases of corruption to court whereby a few resulted in a conviction. “During talks with, amongst others, the Prime Minister of Aruba, I have expressed my concern and have spoken about improvements in the system, which can prevent corruption.”

Brinkman asked whether the Dutch Minister was aware of ‘the serious allegations of examples of corruption, such as confusion of interests, lobbying for political reasons and nepotism in Aruba”

The Netherlands worried about corruption Aruba (Amigoe: July 25, 2008)

ORANJESTAD/ THE HAGUE – The Dutch Minister of Justice Ernst Hirsch Ballin (CDA) has expressed his concern about government corruption during talks with Prime Minister Nelson Oduber (MEP). This is evident from his answer to Chamber questions which PVV Member of Parliament Hero Brinkman asked the Minister and the Secretary of State Ank Bijleveld-Schouten (CDA) on the 26th of June.

The questions are about the political climate on Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles as a result of the interview in the Volkskrant newspaper with former deputy Attorney General (PG) Nico Jörg, who described the climate as being ‘dismal’. Brinkman asked whether the Dutch Minister was aware of ‘the serious allegations of examples of corruption, such as confusion of interests, lobbying for political reasons and nepotism in Aruba” and what the Minister has subsequently done with this information.

Hirsch Ballin responds that the Aruban Public Prosecution has taken various such cases of corruption to court whereby a few resulted in a conviction. “During talks with, amongst others, the Prime Minister of Aruba, I have expressed my concern and have spoken about improvements in the system, which can prevent corruption.”

Brinkman also asked how much money was at stake in the last five years of this corruption. The Minister says not to know, seeing as corruption is a matter of the central government. And with regard to the tenders by the Aruban government, Hirsch Ballin says also not to have any insight in that area seeing as this matter belongs to Aruba. The PVV-member brought forward in his question that tenders are not always transparent, as was stated in the newspaper interview. The Justice Minister also claims to be aware of the shortcomings in legislation. “The Netherlands delivers technical aid in order to support Aruba in its legislation process and to rid them of these shortcomings as soon as possible”, says Hirsch Ballin.
Brinkman also wants to know how Jörg’s presumption that the Public Prosecution on Aruba is met with resistance when it does more than just combating crime, came about. Also to this question the Minister replies that the Public Prosecution is matter for the central government and that he is not in the position to judge the ‘steps which the Public Prosecution has taken or should have taken in whichever situation.” The Minister furthermore finds that the Public Prosecution should be able to execute its work “independently, and through the regular authorities”.

Finally the Dutch Member of Parliament would also like to know if the Minister thinks that everyone which got his/her job through nepotism should be fired on the spot. To this Hirsch Ballin replies: “When hiring personnel the suitability of the candidate for the function should be the first priority. Objectivity and transparency in the process are important. I take it that Aruba stands behind the importance of this criteria. I also don’t have insight into the exchange of personnel with the Aruban government organ.”