Spanish authorities to submit request for legal aid directly to Curaçao

August 26, 2012 2:46 PM

THE HAGUE - The Spanish authorities are to submit a request for legal aid directly to Justice on Curaçao and not to the Netherlands, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Uri Rosenthal, replying to questions from PvdA-Chamber member Frans Timmermans.

Timmermans wanted to know what’s true about reports on the Netherlands refusing to render assistance in the so-called Gürtel-case. In June the Spanish newspaper El Pais wrote that for three years the Netherlands refuses to give data on the Curaçao bank accounts from the suspects. “The article in El Pais insinuates there is important information on Curaçao, or rather in the former Netherlands Antilles. As known, the Netherlands Antilles were dismantled and Curaçao is now a self-governing country within the Kingdom. Curaçao is therefore responsible for its own tracing and prosecution, inclusive receiving and handling requests for legal aid. For possible evidence on Curaçao, Spain is therefore to submit a request for legal aid to the Curaçao authorities”, the minister wrote. The Dutch government renders assistance when it comes to information available in the Netherlands. The Tax Inquires and Tracing Service completed a related investigation late 2011.

The Gürtel-case regards bribery of Spanish officials in the period 2001 up to 2009 and involves millions of euros. The case is named after one of the suspects, Francisco Correa, whose last name is Gürtel (belt) in German. By order of the then Spanish President José Maria Azuar, Correa organized meetings for the centre-rightwing Partido Popular.