THE HAGUE--The broad investigation of the alleged links between the upper and underworld in Curaçao and St. Maarten, in particular in relation to the gambling sector, is material for the upcoming meeting of the four justice ministers of the Kingdom and not for the Kingdom Conference.

 

Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk did not want to commit to a request of Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) to discuss the execution of the motion of the Second Chamber to initiate a broad investigation at the June 16 Kingdom Conference in Curaçao.

 

Van Raak demanded action from the minister following the latter's response last week that the broad investigation which the motion called for would be part of the plan of approach that the Kingdom Justice Consultation had agreed to prepare to strengthen the law enforcement sector in Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten.

 

Van Raak questioned whether the "bosses of the underworld" had won now that Minister Plasterk had said that there would be no specific investigation of the reported links between the governments of Curaçao and St. Maarten and criminal organisations that were also active in the gambling sector.

 

The Member of Parliament (MP) said that doing something about the corrupted politicians who enriched themselves over the backs of the people and closing the faucet of bad money was essential for the economic development of the islands and the combating of poverty.

 

"It is this that threatens good governance. We should not only have nice talks on how to catch criminals. I want the execution of this motion specifically discussed with Curaçao and St. Maarten at the Kingdom Conference," said Van Raak.

 

"We can have as many Kingdom Conferences as we want, talk about children's rights and all sorts of other things, but all of that makes no sense as long as the underworld is the boss on these islands, because they win," said Van Raak.

 

MP André Bosman of the governing liberal democratic VVD party, who had tabled the motion together with Van Raak, agreed that a proper follow-up of the motion was important. "Much talk has been taking place, but with little result. It would have been nice if we could do this together with the countries and not to get stuck in discussions on this serious problem without it really being tackled," he said.

 

Minister Plasterk said that he could not decide unilaterally to tackle the gambling sector in other countries. He stressed that the broad investigation that the Second Chamber wanted needed to be discussed at the Kingdom Justice Consultation, which will take place in St. Maarten on June 8.

 

Plasterk explained that the Netherlands had presented a first version of the plan. One of the essential points of the Netherlands is that when it invests in the strengthening of the law enforcement sector, an individual country should not be able to decide that it will not comply with certain aspects. He said that Curaçao understood this, but that St. Maarten was objecting.

 

The minister said there was also the financial aspect of a full-scale strengthening of the law enforcement sector on the islands. He said that he had freed up money in his own budget of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations BZK, but to do more, he would need the support and financial backing of his colleagues in the Council of Ministers.

 

Investments would also have to be made by the overseas countries.

 

Van Raak said that he was glad that the minister would follow-up through the Kingdom Justice Consultation and added that he would await the results of that meeting. "The underworld thought that there would be no investigation. Luckily we have the Kingdom Justice Consultation. We will decide on how to proceed with the execution of this motion if the countries don't cooperate," he said.

 

The Daily Herald