THE HAGUE--Dutch Minister of Finance Jeroen Dijsselbloem on Friday expressed great concerns about the connection between the “upper-world” and the “underworld” in Curaçao and St. Maarten because this problem also affects The Hague.
The adverse impact on the financial sector on the two islands due to fraud, tax evasion and money-laundering reflects on the Netherlands. “I am concerned,” Dijsselbloem stated in an article in het Financieele Dagblad (FD).
Dijsselbloem responded to questions by reporters after Friday’s Council of Ministers meeting about the search at the home of Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS) President Emsley Tromp on Wednesday. Tromp is suspected of tax evasion and money-laundering as a private person.
The Minister emphasized that the Netherlands has no say in the position of the CBCS President because Curaçao and St. Maarten are autonomous countries within the Kingdom. “However, questions are being asked on an international level on this matter,” he said.
Dijsselbloem was content that the authorities on the islands are making a serious effort to tackle corruption, fraud and money-laundering. “That is good. We have had to press on the islands a lot in the past years to implement the agreed upon anti money-laundering measures,” he told the FD.
The Dutch Caribbean countries are primarily responsible for their own affairs and intervention by The Hague is only possible when there is insufficient redress. Currently the role of the Dutch Government has been limited to the investment of 22 million euros and fifty detectives to strengthen the justice sector on the islands. “It is better to allow the investigation to run its course,” he said about the Tromp probe.
