The impact of Natalee Holloway
Story of the disappearance of a young American in Aruba and her mother’s determination to keep it in the world’s attention, at our island’s expense
Bon Dia Aruba
12/31/2005

The news surprised many. A young American of 18 years of age did not return to her hotel after a night at Carlos ‘n Charlies, and missed her flight home. However, there was no reason for alarm, because no one disappears in Aruba and tourists always turn up one or two days later. Police say that they experience this regularly.

It is because of this that no one expected that this story would turn global and certainly not a nightmare for a whole country on the one hand, and various families on the other. The story of Natalee Holloway does not end in 2005, and given the attention that it has found, especially on American TV channels, it will continue strong in 2006. It is the story about Natalee, but perhaps still more about Beth Twitty, her mother, who is determined to boycott Aruba, as long as authorities do not return her daughter or punish the three youths suspected of having something to do with the disappearance of the blonde, white and pretty daughter. It is a story that has three ingredients, Natalee, Beth and the attack against Aruba.

It is a story that begins as many others. A youth enthused with the end of school and who came to Aruba in a group of approximately 140 students from the same school, Mountain Brook High from Birmingham, Alabama. According to her mother, Beth Twitty, a girl who finished school with honours and a scholarship to go to the University of Alabama. Not much else is known about Natalee. Her mother has never said much about her daughter, except for saying that her favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz. We hear about Natalee every day, but we don’t know much more about her, and no one has said who this girl really is.

JUNE:

The first week.

The group came to Aruba for 5 days, and on the last night, May 29, Natalee met Joran van der Sloot in the casino of the Holiday Inn and invited him to go to Carlos ‘n Charlies. Joran, 17 at the time, went home at 11:00 pm, where his father passed to pick him up at the McDonald’s Palm Beach. But later, he called his friend Deepak for them to go to the night spot to meet the group from Mountain Brook. Satish Kalpoe also went, and as soon as Carlos ‘n Charlies closed, Natalee got in Deepak’s car and went with the three supposedly to the Lighthouse and the area where the sharks are. This was the last time that Natalee’s companions say they saw the young woman, the suspects and Aruba. Bon Dia observed especially the first weeks, which was marked with many developments in the case.

In the morning, May 30, when it was time to go to the airport, it was noticed that Natalee wasn’t there. However, they waited until they were at the airport to advise the family and afterwards, police.

In less than 12 hours after receiving the call, Natalee’s family, Beth Twitty, was already in Aruba, with the conviction that her daughter was kidnapped. With the help of some people in Aruba, she was able to identify Joran van der Sloot and went to his house. Here, she confronted Joran’s father, Paul van der Sloot, who determined that his son was not home. Joran was once again with Deepak and when they got home, they found themselves in front of a desperate mother. Here came the version that they left Natalee in front of the lobby of the Holiday Inn. Natalee tripped, and got up. They also said that there was a man who resembled a security guard close by.

In the morning of the 31st of May, there were already ‘kidnapped’ posters, which afterwards turned into ‘missing’. And who can forget the most salient, where Beth asked Natalee to call her “Mom is really here in Aruba and I really want to talk to you”. At that time there was already a reward for people who could have more information.

Although police had not yet reacted, the Tuesday in question (something that was later followed), they were able to organize an intense search.

Wednesday 1st of June, the Royal Marines as well as local groups organized for people from Aruba and International Friends of Aruba searched especially in the area of the Lighthouse, Arashi, North of the Marriott and also in crack houses, with no results. The matter turned serious and fell under the charge of Commissioner Jan van der Straten of the Noord district, and chief prosecutor Karin Jansen was put in charge of the case. In the meantime, the FBI was already in Aruba.

The news reached the U.S. and for the 1st of June, there were already in the news of some important web sites. Thursday, the news was already on all TV channels. The first news teams from the U.S. arrived in Aruba, FOX, with NBC being the first. By the following Friday there were already CNN, CBS. ABC and various teams from FOX and NBC/MSNBC.

Minister of Justice Rudy Croes arrived in Aruba Friday June 3 and was the first to criticize the investigation openly, during a press conference that took place in Santa Cruz, in the presence of Commissioner Gerold Dompig. The Minister’s intention was to remove Jan van der Straten from the case, especially for not arresting the three who were last seen with Natalee. The same night, a tip came in that Natalee was in an apartment. An intense search led to another American, but the family was completely destroyed since it wasn’t Natalee.

Saturday, June 4 an ‘inval’ was done at the Alegro Resort, under construction. Police searched the whole hotel for a possible lead. This was the same day that CNN reported that Aruba is a trampoline for drugs and prostitution. Although the reportage was based on a State Department report published in March, and that the reported pointed out that Aruba had little crime, this was the first ‘flavour’ of all negative reporting to come. Minister Croes was furious and threatened to expel the CNN team if they did not rectify. Neither happened. CNN did not rectify, nor were they expelled.

However, in these days, SPA (Police Union) stood firmly behind Jan van der Straten, and finally he remained in charge of the case.

Sunday, June 5, two former security guards were arrested, Mikky John and Abraham Jones, under suspicion of having something to do with the disappearance. An intense search started in Grapefield and area, and a mattress with blood was found, which later resulted to be the blood of a dog. By the afternoon, Commissioner van der Straten and Chief Prosecutor Jansen held the first press conference of the investigative team, which was one of the biggest there have ever been. In the afternoon hours there was a vigil and prayers for Natalee at the Lighthouse.

Next two weeks:
Monday there was another press meeting, which announced that the Minister of Justice called for a National Day of Search for Natalee. Carlos ‘n Charlies had to go to court to prevent the government from closing their facilities.

The next day, June 7, the government closed half a day and under the supervision of Commissioner Trudy Hassell, a big search was organized. About 700 people participated with no result. Meanwhile, lawyers for Jones and John started to fight the detention of their clients. It was the first in a long series of cases in court for this entire case, which is still ongoing.

Thursday, June 9, police detained simultaneously Joran van der Sloot and brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, exactly on the day that Joran was to receive his diploma from ISA (International School of Aruba). They also searched their rooms and confiscated a computer, a car, and other articles. Lawyers Antonio Carlo, Rudy Oomen and David Kock are their defense attorneys. According to Commissioner van der Straten, the reason they delayed the arrest of the three was a tactic, to follow their steps. The Prime Minister met with the American press to clear up the negative reports and said that the American press is putting and end to 50 years of hard work in tourism.

Friday, June 10, information came in that Joran had confessed. The news was transmitted by CNN and people came out to the street, looking for something without knowing what. Police denied this confession later. However, what did come out was that the three started to change their first version. Joran said that he left Natalee on the beach north of the Marriott. Meanwhile, prosecutor Flanegin joined the team and Joran’s mother, Anita van der Sloot spoke for the first time to say that his son was innocent.

Monday, June 13, the two security guards were set free, and Mikky John in particular became a regular that week on American television. Aruba was already being accused of ‘racial profiling’. It has to be said that already for this time, the tone of announcers in the US was very negative against police and the judicial system, especially given that the three principal suspects were not officially accused.

What followed were intense searches for any proof of culpability. Police were already looking for a body, while Beth Twitty was still talking of her daughter alive. But the tone started to change, and every time there was increasing criticism of police and she started accusing the police force and the investigative team of a ‘cover up’ and corruption. They combed the area north of the Marriott, along with the FBI and three experts from the Dutch Forensic Institute. They brought in a dog from Miami, and a Coast Guard helicopter equipped with a special machine, which made its turns on top of Aruba. It was in this week that the first call of boycott against Aruba came in, on the part of radio announcers Russ and Dee.

The case took a turn when they detained Steve Croes, who said that he saw the three suspects drop off Natalee at the Holiday Inn. Police already knew that this was a lie, according to them, to have someone he knew, Deepak, be set free. Croes was later set free, but he lost his job and his reputation.

On the 23 of June, Paul van der Sloot was detained on suspicion of helping to get rid of the body or to cover up the case. On the same day, Texas Equusearch arrived in Aruba, to start their search. They came with a dog, and more sophisticated equipment. The group found assistance from Aruba and local businesses. Banks gave the organization $20,000. In the end, Tim Miller also spoke against Aruba that authorities were “interfering with their search”. This came after Miller received a special pin from Prime Minister Nelson Oduber and had thanked Aruba for all the cooperation received.

Paul van der Sloot did not remain locked up much time. The following Sunday, the Judge Commissioner from Curacao found that there wasn’t enough motive for his detention. This took place while it was published that Joran tried to blame Deepak. Lawyers categorically deny this.

Given the supremely negative tone, the government along with AHATA and ATA, formed a Strategic Communications Commission to counteract all bad information on the case and Aruba.

JULY:
One month after her disappearance, the Strategic Commission organized a human chain to remember Natalee and pray for a solution to the case. After letting the three suspects show authorities where they finally left Natalee, not much later the Judge Commissioner set Deepak and Satish Kalpoe free. Joran’s detention was prolonged.

Beth Twitty reacted strongly, calling the Kalpoe brothers criminals and asking the rest of the world not to accept these two. This comment set off a reaction from a group of citizens worried with the manner in which the American media was covering the case. They organized a spontaneous protest, followed a day after with an apology from Beth Twitty, who in the meantime sought the services of attorney Vinda de Souza.

For the first time, Dutch Ambassador in Washington, Boudewijn van Eenennaam declared that Aruba was doing everything possible to solve the case. Meanwhile, insistent rumours started about the tension between Attorney General Theresa Croes and Chief Prosecutor Karin Jansen.
It can also be remembered that duct tape was found in Boca Tortuga and Texas Equusearch made much noise about a hole found at the Arirok National Park, which also resulted in nothing.

Authorities brought the suspects to give saliva for a DNA test, since they found someone’s DNA on Natalee’s toothbrush. In any case, it wasn’t Satish’s and later, Jug Twitty declared that perhaps it was his, since he helped Natalee pack her bags. Meanwhile Natalee’s family increased the reward to 200 thousand dollars and brought in their own private investigators. Some days later, the reward went to 1 million dollars. They didn’t want to say who made the donation.

At the end of the month, prosecutor Flanegin went to the U.S. with the interrogation tapes for analysis at the FBI, and expert interrogators were requested from Holland to speak with Joran.

At the same time, the Alabama parliament passed a resolution asking for a boycott against Aruba. Beth Twitty said that she didn’t know anything about it, and her spouse, Jug Twitty sent a letter to stop the boycott.

Meanwhile, police were looking for Joran’s show and found indications that it could be in the pond near the Racquet Club. An immense undertaking was initiated to take out the water from the pond, which lasted a few days. There were no results.

AUGUST:
Texas Equusearch went to look at the van der Sloot house and found a problem with Commissioner Dompig, who had in the meantime replaced van der Straten who took his retirement. Beth Twitty, on her side, became completely negative against Aruba in all her daily interviews with American television, especially with FOX and Headline News. Her lawyer urged Aruba for understanding for pain of a mother with a lost child.

In all this, a gardener who saw the three at the pond the night Natalee disappeared presented himself. The gardener went ‘missing’ himself on the day that he had to give a declaration to the Judge Commissioner, supposedly for fear that he was an illegal. But at the end, his declaration did not help the investigation much, given that the judge did not consider his declaration very valid. Also, police asked the community to locate a jogger who also could have seen something that night. There was no reaction.

On the other side, Beth Twitty and a cameraman from MSNBC went to Deepak’s work, where she offered him 250 thousand dollars to say what Joran did with her daughter. Deepak filed a complaint, and Beth reacted with a complaint of her own.

Another search expert, Fred Golba, came to Aruba with his special dog. But in this case, he did count with the respect of the Aruba police.

In the U.S. some more respected media, such as the New York Times and the St. Petersburg Times questioned all the attention of the case of Natalee Holloway. Even the CNN President, Jonathan Klein accused FOX of giving worth to ‘nonsense’ for the sake of ratings. When it was thought that nothing else would happen, MSNBC went to KIA for an interview with the director, Mr. Freddy Maduro, who invited them to go look where Joran was. The case resulted in a lightning treatment in court, where Joran himself described what happened. MSNBC was prohibited from airing the images and Maduro found a suspension of a few weeks.

At the end of the month, the prosecutor added rape accusations against Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers, who were once again detained, along with Joran’s friend, Freddy Arambatsis. This was also the time that attorneys de Sousa, Mohamed and Rojer pulled back from Beth Twitty and remained representing only Dave Holloway. Helen Lejuez became the Twitty family attorney.

The end of August was marked also by a series of cases in court, where the detention of the suspects was challenged and vice-versa. The Judge Commissioner decided to let the three suspects confront each other in court. According to witnesses, Joran cried on this occasion and all denied the new rape charges.

SEPTEMBER:
The American press was preparing for Hurricane Katrina, which happened at the same time that they had to either prolong the detention or let the suspects go free. The Judge decided to suspend the detention conditionally, as much for Joran as for the Kalpoe brothers could leave prison the first Saturday of the month. All this happened at the moment that once again Karin Jansen ordered a new search north of the Marriott. On the same day, Beth criticized the decision but as strange as it sounds, thanked Aruba and Dutch authorities for all their cooperation.

After giving his first public declaration, where he emphasized his innocence, Joran van der Sloot traveled to Holland where he is now studying. The Public Prosecutor tried to stop the case via a court case, but was not able to. Some days later, the court determined that there was no reason for the detention of the three, and all three remained free, officially, although they are still suspects.

Beth Twitty, who in Aruba expressed gratitude for our people, but who in her interviews was speaking against our island, left Aruba after being here two months. A friend of hers, Joe Mammana, in the US threatened to bring ‘hell to Aruba’ but Beth did not want to say if she supported this view. But in the meantime, she was already planning to appear in the Dr. Phil show, who did openly ask for a boycott against Aruba. One of the reasons was an interview with Deepak, by the former FBI agent, Jamie Skeeters. Here, Deepak admitted to having sexual relations with Natalee and that it was easy. Deepak Kalpoe denied saying such a thing, and already the rumours that the tape was ‘doctored’ began.

But the damage was done and the Strategic Commission was aware of the negative impact of the Dr. Phil show, but they couldn’t do much.

And while the investigation continued in Aruba, among other things a search in the sea on the side of the Lighthouse, A Current Affair was able to obtain an interview with Joran in Holland. Here, Joran stood firm again that he didn’t do anything and that he regretted lying the first time.

OCTOBER:
The Strategic Commission urged the government for a meeting to see what would be the best way to deal with the grave accusations against Aruba. The reason was that they wanted an official person to explain the process. They were in agreement with Commissioner Dompig to take the word.

On the other side, Paul van der Sloot started a case to see if he was a suspect or not, following up with a case of damages and prejudice.

Dave Holloway on his side, asked the community of Aruba to continue to help with information and tips and spoke against the boycott given that “my mother works in a gas station. If she were working in Aruba, then she would also be affected by a boycott. I do not support a boycott against Aruba.” Further still, Holloway said that he supports the police force of Aruba, who in the meantime was able to obtain the Jamie Skeeters tape of the interview with Deepak Kalpoe and sent it to the Dutch Forensic Institute for analysis.

NOVEMBER:
After canceling her trip to Aruba, given that in her interview in which she declared to America that she was threatened and was going to be arrested, Beth Twitty returned to Aruba for two days to speak with police. Along with her, again, were some members of the American press. At first instance, it was feared that she came to disturb the ATCA conference. However, this did not happen. Beth Twitty spoke with police and also with the Strategic Commission where she promised better cooperation and communication.

But one week later, she was standing next to her husband, Jug Twitty, in the presence of Alabama Governor Bob Riley who asked for a boycott against Aruba. The accusation was made that authorities in Aruba were not doing anything to solve the case of Natalee Holloway. Prime Minister Nelson Oduber claimed that Riley did not make an attempt to get in touch before the call for a boycott and showed how many disappearance cases there are in Alabama. The State Department, on the other hand, said that there is no official boycott. Ambassador van Eenennaam in Washington condemned the call for a boycott and Minister Ben Bot attended to the matter with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In one of two shows, Dr. Phil showed that perhaps Natalee is alive, based on a call that Beth received. But some days later, it was announced that DFI confirmed the suspicion that they ‘played’ with Skeeter’s Deepak interview. They manipulated where the tape said ‘no we didn’t’ to say only ‘we did’. In the same time period, an American citizen in California Lisa Chiafullo got in contact with Aruba because she was angry with Beth’s circus and that it was time to start a boycott against Natalee’s mother. A certain quantity of signatures was collected to support Chiafullo, but the action was never followed up. What’s more, the Strategic Commission did not agree.

After sending letters to all Governor colleagues, Bob Riley found support from Mike Huckabee of Arkansas in the call for a boycott against Aruba. Dave Holloway approached Mississippi Governor to get his opinion, but there has still not been any reaction from this state. Lawyers for Dave Holloway denied that he also asked for a boycott. On the other side, Dave Holloway also now is strongly criticizing Aruba.

Ironically, the same month that the calls for boycott were made, Aruba opened its doors to 7 American Congressmen who were denied entry at the Venezuela airport. Prime Minister Oduber said to the leader of the delegation, Mr. Henry Hyde that friends have to be treated well if they want to keep a good relationship. Hyde, on his side, complimented Aruba for supporting the U.S. in the region.

To close the month, Beth Twitty was named one of the 10 most fascinating people of 2005 by Barbara Walters.

DECEMBER:
Aruba named Steve Cohen, co-founder of Court TV and former CBS executive as Aruba spokesperson to the US, along with Arlene Ellis-Schipper. His first declaration was that “sadness is no reason to not speak the truth”, referring to Beth Twitty.

Renowned American lawyer Mark Garagos criticized Dr. Phil on the Larry King show, saying that the psychologist acted in a supremely irresponsible manner when he involved himself in the investigation.

On his side, Paul van der Sloot, who according to the Court is not a suspect in the case of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, tended to the case of damages and prejudice personally in the other year. He wants monkey to cover lawyer expenses. The divide between the Attorney General and the Chief Prosecutor continued, and Minister of Justice reminded Mrs. Jansen that the Attorney General remains her boss. This happened at the time when he forbid Commissioner Dompig from speaking. According to information, he took the decision because he was not happy with his declarations on the American press, among others on the prestigious magazine Vanity Fair, where he said that Beth Twitty is also at fault for the investigation not going as it should have. It is ironic that SPA, after their criticism of Dompig in June, stood firmly behind the Commissioner.

There was another divide between ATA and AHATA in the thought of whether they have to send a special mission to the Alabama Congressman, Spencer Bachus. Finally, the visit turned out to be a success, since they took all documents. Bachus complimented the investigators and said that never had he seen such a complete dossier. The mission consisted of Arlene Ellis-Schipper, Commissioner Dolfi Richardson, and Steve Cohen.

However, the trip did not stop Georgia Governor George Perdue to join the boycott. However, the reaction in Atlanta, in particular was not much, and even negative against this call.

Joran returned to Aruba to spend Christmas vacation and there are indications that they want to interrogate him again, along with the Kalpoe brothers.

Current events:
Until today, no one knows where Natalee Holloway is. The suspicion remains on Joran van der Sloot, and Deepak and Satish Kalpoe. There is neither a confession, nor any admission of sexual relations in the most explicit sense. And it in this way that the investigation has no solid proof to say that the three suspects are indeed responsible for her death or disappearance. Of rape, nothing can be said still, since Natalee is not there to clear this up. However, there has still not been an official interrogation of the students who were with Natalee in Aruba. There are many questions in Aruba that have gone unanswered. That the coverage of the case of Natalee Holloway had an impact is a fact. How it will affect our island, time will tell. There is already fear that perhaps the constant and negative coverage affected the business of the Aruba airport. AHATA foresees an ‘off season’ 2006 with many challenges, especially given that they conducted research on some important markets for Aruba and the results showed that the people who were surveyed did not have much trust in our judicial system. On the other hand, every crisis creates a need to become creative.

Perhaps the story of Natalee Holloway is more of a ‘wake up call’ for Aruba, for us to procure a more secure infrastructure for our country, as much as for our people as for tourists, and most importantly, to remove an almost complete dependence on only one market and open our eyes to others.

But most important is for justice to prevail and that any person who could be involved in the disappearance or who knows more about the case be identified. Because Natalee and Aruba deserve this.

According to Otmar Oduber
ATA’s duty is to publish the tourism numbers
It has been more than 6 months since they’ve done this
DIARIO Aruba
12/29/2005

ORANJESTAD(AAN): Otmar Oduber, from the AVP faction, signaled during a press conference of the green party, that it is very troublesome and reproachable that the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA), for the last 6 months hasn’t published tourism numbers.

He explained that this is something very irresponsible.

Oduber also said that he saw on NBC that they reported that Aruba was in the 10 news stories with the most impact of 2005, while the case of Natalee Holloway is the number 1 unresolved case.

According to Oduber, they also said that tourism has declined by a certain percentage, which is something that ATA has to give information about.
The parliamentarian also said that Aruba received 42,000 less tourists from cruise ships in 2005, compared with 2004.

If one multiplies this by the average amount of money that they would have spent in Aruba, which is $112, Aruba potentially lost more than 4 million dollars.

Oduber also indicated that there were 4.2% less travelers who passed through our airport, which could turn into 10%, which is an alarming effect that cannot continue.

Alabama boycott violates an old Superior Court judgment
DIARIO Aruba
12/29/2005

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Information received from the US indicates that the boycott against Aruba that the Alabama Governor anounced, apparently violates a Superior Court decision which was rendered in the US in 1999.

The US Superior Court explained in a case in 1999 that the Federal Government is the one that represents the collective interest of the 48 American states, and is entrusted with the complete and exclusive responsibility for dealing with foreign countries. The system of government in the US is that the interests of cities, counties and states, imperatively requires that federal power which affects foreign relations, has to be free from local interference.

Therefore, the decision of March 1, 1999 demonstrates that every state has to let this decision up to the Federal Government. Observers said that the Alabama boycott, specifically, violates this Superior Court decision.

The case was National Foreign Trade Council vs. The Government of Massachusetts, who has problems with the country of Myanmar.

According to Steve Cohen
Majority of Americans convinced that Aruba is doing everything possible to solve the Holloway case
DIARIO Aruba
12/29/2005

ORANJESTAD(AAN): According to the spokesman from America who is part of the Strategic Communications Task Force, Steve Cohen, in 8 to 10 weeks, it will be known if the Ministry of Justice collected sufficient proof against the 3 suspects in the case of Natalee Holloway, to bring the case in front of a judge.

This is a personal calculation that Cohen made. Cohen is being informed of all developments on the case, by Commissioner Dolfi Richardson.

According to Cohen, the 3 suspects, Joran van der Sloot, Satish Kalpoe and Deepak Kalpoe will be interrogated in the coming days.

According to Cohen, the reaction from people in the US is less negative than everyone believes.

He said that the majority of people in the US is convinced that justice in Aruba is doing everything possible to solve the case.

In a telephone interview with Joran van der Sloot
I would have sued those responsible for the tape manipulation
Referring to the supposed manipulation of the Deepak recording
DIARIO Aruba
12/27/2005

ORANJESTAD(AAN): Recently, DIARIO obtained an interview with Joran van der Sloot via telephone and asked him how he’s doing now that he’s back in Aruba.

As it is known, Joran arrived in Aruba on the 14 of December to spend Christmas and New Year’s with his family, after he left for Holland a few months ago to study.

He confirmed to DIARIO that he’s studying International Business and that it is going very well.

He explained that he still has not gone to any parties [in Aruba], but he has received visits from friends and family and is enjoying his time with loved ones.

DIARIO asked him if he’s recognized on the street, and he said that it’s true that this is the case.

At the time where he goes out, different people recognize him and wish him a merry Christmas and a happy new year for him and his family.

Joran explained to DIARIO that he cannot talk about the details of the case, until it is resolved, but he said that he does not believe that it is fair what Natalee Holloway’s mother is trying to do to Aruba, in regards to the boycott.

He said that he understands that the mother perhaps is angry at him, because she believes that he has something to do with the disappearance of Natalee, but this is not a reason to start a boycott against Aruba.

Joran said that Beth Twitty’s anger is unfounded, because he didn’t do anything bad to the American girl.

In what relates to the matter of the recording of Deepak Kalpoe, where supposedly the Dr. Phil program manipulated the tape, Joran told DIARIO that he doesn’t understand how Deepak does not look for a way to sue the program.

At the end of the interview he said that he is happy that he still hasn’t been bothered by the press here in Aruba, now that he’s back, and that he’s happy that he’s back to spend time with his family.

According to veteran policeman he will restructure the Bonaire force
Jan van der Straten will serve as High Commissioner for 6 to 12 months
He has an agreement with the Bonaire police union so he doesn’t understand the conflict
Bon Dia
12/22/2005

ORANJESTAD – As long as the country decision is not signed and in his hands, Jan vd Straten does not plan to start his new job in Bonaire as High Commissioner of the island of flamingos. Jan vd Straten said this to Bon Dia Aruba yesterday in an exclusive interview.

He confirmed the Bon Dia Aruba news that he will be the next chief of police of Bonaire and said that while he accepted this job, Aruba remains his home.

REQUEST FOR VD STRATEN
It was 2 to 3 years ago that the Antilles made the first attempt to seek vd Straten to work in Bonaire. “But my contract (in Aruba) was to end in August 15, 2005, so there wasn’t a possibility to go”, vd Straten said to this publication. He will procure to finalize this re-organization in Aruba first. After the invitation from the current Minister of Justice of the Anitlles, David Dick, he accepted the position. It was after two months passed that he spoke to his colleague and current Bonaire police chief Gerold Daantje.

WORKING TOGETHER
Here, they spoke about how they’re going to work together to see how vd Straten can work in Bonaire to prepare the police force in a new way and establish a relationship with Holland. While Daantje shared his opinion about the functioning in Bonaire, he expressed his preference to continue to study IT via a study task of the government of the US. As such, he came to an agreement with Minister Dick to leave Bonaire.

COUNTRY DECIDES
Once the country decision is made and in vd Straten’s hands, in what relates to his new function, he has to write a letter to Holland to postpone the payment of his pension for 6 to 12 months, which is the duration of his contract with Bonaire. The reason is that during this time, vd Straten will prepare the position for another person who has to assume the role as commissioner. The intention is to work on some project that will procure more security for the people of Bonaire, something that vd Straten considers an assured challenge.

UPSET IN THE FORCE
The fact that there is mention of an upset among members of the Bonaire police force with the arrival of vd Straten, is no very comprehensible for the former police commissioner of Aruba. This is because, according to the veteran policeman, he had a good understanding with the Bonaire police union. “It has always been my opinion that you have to care about these things that are very regulated for my colleagues. Then vd Straten will come”, the former commissioner continues to say. “That is an agreement with the union that they said to me 2 months ago. They assured me that they didn’t have a problem with anything”, vd Straten continued to say, reiterating that these issues have to be solved. “Van der Straten will not go work in a place where a colleague is already sitting as police chief”, vd Straten said.

STARTING DATE
The initial date mentioned for the police veteran to start his new position in Bonaire, according to Minister David Dick, is the 1st of January, 2006. But in practice, it seems that this will be a little later. “This is the main point. But everything has to be settled” vd Straten continued to say. He will not base it on a verbal agreement nor on a written one, but on a country decision.

“It is on a letter from the Minister that they will be in full agreement, but for me it has to be a country agreement to delay my pension”, vd Straten said. About the question that if he is asked to extend his permanency in Bonaire after a year, he categorically said no. “I am willing to work between 6 and 12 months in Bonaire. However, do not forget that I am retired. And my heart is in Aruba. I like working in Bonaire, but until now I live very well in Aruba” vd Straten finally said.

According to American prosecutor
Aruban investigative team is very professional in the gathering of evidence and interrogation
DIARIO Aruba
12/21/2005

ORANJESTAD(AAN): After the Aruban delegation met with American Congressman Spencer Bachus and Shelby county prosecutor Robby Owens and David Barber of Jefferson county, Barber said to the American press that he offered Aruba his help to obtain interviews win Natalee Holloway’s classmates.

For this to happen, however, according to the prosecutor, certain international protocols must be taken into account so that the information is legally obtained and is able to be used in court.

Congressman Bachus continues to say that it is Aruba’s intention to continue forging ahead and not close this case, which has 14 investigators working on it.

Prosecutor Owens said that Aruba lacks experience in homicide cases, because there are hardly ever any homicides [in Aruba], but he said that Aruba is very professional in the gathering of evidence and interrogation of suspects.

“I feel better about the investigation, after meeting with them.” This according to Congressman Spencer Bachus, after his meeting with the delegation from Aruba.

According to attorney Schipper and Commissioner Richardson in regards to the case of Natalee Holloway
American Congressman Spencer Bachus is willing to help Aruba
DIARIO Aruba
12/20/2005

ORANJESTAD(AAN): As it is known, a delegation from Aruba travelled to Washington to meet with American member of Congress Spencer Bachus and two prosecutors from Alabama to explain to the American Congress, how the investigation of the case of Natalee Holloway has gone so far and what the intention is for the continuation of the investigation in order to arrive at a solution to this case.

Commissioner Dolfi Richardson, who said that the trip was very fruitful, where on behalf of Aruba, he and attorney Schipper succeeded in raising various important points.

According to Richardson, the American member of Congress said that if Aruba needs any help with this investigation, he can request and get it.

DIARIO also conversed with attorney Arlene Schipper, who said that when they arrived in America at around 8 pm Thursday, they met with the consultants they are working with, to prepare for the meeting with Congress, this meeting ending at around 2 am.

Thursday morning at 9, they met with the Congressman Spencer Bachus, along with two prosecutors from Alabama, one of whom is from the same part of Alabama as Beth Twitty. This happened in the well known Capitol Hill in Washington.

The delegation from Aruba explained in detail the manner in which the police force and other investigators in Aruba worked on this case and are working still, to demonstrate that they have not and are not doing a bad job.

According to Schipper the meeting was to last one hour, but it went well and Mr. Bachus and others in the American delegation had so many questions that the meeting lasted 2 hours.

In what has come out in the American press, the Congressman said that he knows how the press works and that there are many things that have come out in the press that he doesn’t believe.

Congressman Bachus also said to the representatives of Aruba that he is willing to help with anything in this case.

The Aruban delegation took the opportunity to speak about the fact that Aruba handed over some time ago a request for ‘Rechtshulp’ (legal advice) from America, and never heard about it again.

This is very important, for example, for the interrogation of Natalee Holloway’s classmates.

Bachus told the Aruban delegation that will procure that the process is undertaken so that the investigative team can find the opportunity to get information out of the students, which may be relevant to this case.

According to Mrs. Schipper, the whole meeting progressed in a pleasant manner and after the meeting, one of the prosecutors gave a press conference, where he expressed that he is convinced that the manner in which the investigation is going in Aruba is very professional.

One of the most important things to come out of the meeting, according to attorney Schipper, is that Aruba and the Twitty/Holloway family have to reconcile, because both parties will benefit from solving this case.

Editorial: Complexes and Envy: a bad combination!
DIARIO Aruba
12/19/2005

In Aruba, everyone is aware that there is a big quantity of complexed people, and still more envious ones. What many people do not know is that the combination of both is twice as repugnant. An Aruban, for example, doesn’t have the same grade of acceptance for his merits like any citizen of other countries do, because the theory of the hemchi [basket?] full of crabs exists on our island.

If one of the crabs wants to grab them rim of the hemchi [basket?] to come out, the others pull it down! For them, it’s better to be mediocre than for any one of them to be successful! This is part of the mentality that is an obstacle to the total progress of Aruba.

The case of Natalee has categorically emphasized this concept. Those who have no opinion, or who do not want to give the opinion that they have, or are convinced that their opinion is worthless, refuse to voice it, but on the other hand criticize those who have to courage to do so.

It is the eternal negative human factor, without prosperity and without remedy. Instead of letting those who can contribute to a solution of the case, or at the very lease avoid the worst for Aruba, do their work in peace, the complexed and envious people employ their tongues as a destructive weapon that gives no respite or rest.

What they do not understand, because it cannot penetrate the small alley of their brains, is that a confrontational attitude is not going to help solve Natalee’s case, nor avoid a boycott against Aruba.

The People of America do not care one bit for the comparison of Natalee with the many thousands other cases in the US of youngsters who have disappeared. It is this case, the one of Natalee in particular, which has captured their attention, not the others, amen if they will be solved or not.

Are they by any chance not aware of them? The American People are very well informed as to what happens in their country and do not need anyone to remind them of all the cases that they seriously lament.

I feel for the families of these youngsters, and because there is nothing worse than losing a child, but the case of Natalee is the one that has the actual emphasis in the American media, along with others in similar or worse situations.

Closing your eyes to this reality is demonstrative of a level of stupidity more profound that can be imagined, and to go in a confrontation to try to bury that of Natalee comparing her with thousands of others that are missing in the US, proves this level.

With the three suspects having admitted that they had sexual relations with Natalee when she was temporarily unconscious, is categorical and in the Police records.

At such a time where a person is unconscious, they don’t have the capacity to consent to anything. And in our law, if I’m not mistaken, any sexual act that does not have the consent of both parties, is punishable by law. And this is just what happened with Natalee, who was submitted against her will (because she was unconscious) to sexual acts imposed upon her. That is to say, she was raped. There is no defense lawyer who can argue to the contrary.

I’m not going to waste time with envious people, and even less with complexed people, nor with their criticisms, and if they are looking for a debate for me to give them the importance that they do not have, let them lose hope because this is not going to happen.

The dogs can bark as much as they want; the caravan is destined to continue its way without interruption. I consider my time to be too valuable to lose one second with the people who do not even deserve my attention. As the Persian savant (Omar Khayam) said so many years ago in a paragraph of his Rubiyat:

And so the rooster sang, to those standing in front
In the tavern the shout “Open the door then!
“You know how little time we have left,
“And once we are gone, we will never be able to go back.”

Joran van der Sloot returns to Aruba today
DIARIO Aruba
12/20/2005

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Although sources said that his visit to Aruba is to spend “Christmas and New Year’s” with his family, there is an indication that local authorities want to speak with him again, after officials have reviewed all evidence months back.

Sources showed that Joran’s ticket had already been purhcased and he’s leaving Cold Land to come to Aruba. The news that he is leaving Holland for vacations was also noted by the American media.

According to Internet Blog
There is a big chance that Natalee Holloway was pregnant when she was in Aruba
DIARIO Aruba
12/16/2005

ORANJESTAD(AAN): Recently, on one of the ‘blogs’ on the Internet, where people around the world discuss the case of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, there was an interesting discussion about this case.

They started to discuss the reason that Natalee could have decided to disappear. Those on that blog, assumed for a moment that Natalee is not dead and that she decided to run away. According to the person who runs the blog, there are indications that Natalee was pregnant and under stress because of her pregnancy.

He/she said that if one compared a picture of Natalee when she went to the prom on the 3rd of May to the photo of Natalee when she was here in Aruba, one can see that she is around 10% heavier than when she was in the US.

This does not necessarily signify that she was pregnant, but the indications are strong that this was the case, and according to that person, the young American was between 4 and 5 months pregnant.

Another indication that she was pregnant is that Joran said that Natalee was hysterical when on the beach at the Marriott, which could be a sign that this is the case and because of this she wanted to remain on the beach and not go back to the Holiday Inn.

According to the person from the blog, it is very regrettable that Natalee’s family have done everything in their power so that no one can see the pictures of the students in the time they were in Aruba so that they cannot comment much on what they did in Aruba. He/she continues to say that there could be some of the students who know that Natalee was indeed expecting a child and by who.

The person continues to say that probably Natalee’s classmates could have helped her escape and get back to the US, in a hidden manner, due to the shame and scandal that it would be for Natalee and the father of her supposed child, when the families found out.

The question remains, how Natalee and her friends could have succeeded in getting Natalee out of Aruba, without the help of locals. Because if it is indeed the case that Natalee left Aruba alive, it is difficult to believe that no one in Aruba knows about it.

If Natalee left Aruba, it is also difficult to believe that the three suspects, Deepak, Satish and Joran are aware of this, because it is not logical that three youngsters who love to go out and enjoy life will sacrifice their freedom for so long, for a person they hardly knew.

What does make this matter very interesting is that this is not the first time that a possible Natalee Holloway pregnancy has been spoken about. There have been different versions circulating, where at one time it was spoken about a doctor who said to Natalee approached him about an abortion.

Another version says that Natalee is pregnant by a person very close to her mother, and that she will be giving birth in January and that after this, she will come forward to clear everything up.

Now there is the latest version which appears on a blog that says that when Natalee came to Aruba, she was 4 to 5 months pregnant. Like they say: where there’s smoke there’s fire.

Looking at how many times a possible pregnancy of Natalee Holloway has been mentioned, perhaps this is the truth. One thing is for sure, if this is true and Natalee came forward, this would be good news for Aruba in what relates to the boycott.

Due to Minister’s reply being satisfactory
Investigative team will continue on Natalee’s case
DIARIO Aruba
12/14/2005

ORANJESTAD (AAN): After the police union explained their concerns related to the investigative team putting the case on hold, they now decided to continue on with the investigation.

It is known that the matter of justice getting involved [is valid] as long as it’s something serious. Any [conflict?] can cause much damage in any investigation, in particular when a person who is not qualified is involved in the matter, who was not involved in the interrogations or the investigation [to begin with].

Since the beginning, a way has been sought to push and pull, and make heads roll as if it was a chess game that they’re playing. While it deals with a very serious case, in particular the country of Aruba being at stake.

More still, when the steps are closely followed by people abroad. Recently, the government requested assistance from Minister of Justice David Dick, if the Aruban Public Prosecution could arrange to have the assistance Mr. Angela, an Aruban prosecutor that practices his profession in Curaçao.

They came to a good agreement and Mr. Angela traveled to Aruba apparently to reinforce the investigative team.

However, as days progressed, those in charge of the investigation said that he didn’t speak with them, he wasn’t in contact, and he took documents to read and study. While these actions which seem suspicious and reached the police union management. After having analyzed the situation, the union decided to stop the investigation and put it on hold so that the minister in charge could provide some clarity as to what prosecutor Angela is doing in Aruba.

Tuesday, a report came in that the union was notified that the prosecutor in question is analyzing the documents in order to give a ‘second opinion’.

On the basis of this report, they provided SPA representatives and finally the members of the team decided to resume the investigation, and this is now the second time that the team can’t concentrate due to interference. It is hoped that this will be the last time that a mandatory interferes with such an important investigation.

Business life hardly notice a boycott
Amigoe
12/13/2005

ARUBA – A small, non-scientific founded investigation amongst people in several business sectors organized by the Chamber of Commerce gave the impression that the economic consequences of the Holloway-affaire are hardly noticeable for the business life outside the tourist sector.

The hotels do experience cancellations, but they do not want to attribute this to the aftermath of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The hurricane season has also caused cancellations. There are some concerns though on the question whether the cancellation will be compensated with new reservations. The business life was optimistic about turnover increase in 2006. Edwin Roos, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce is of the opinion that the Strategic Communication Action Task Force that is in charge of the external communications on the Holloway-affaire, have to give more information. “They have already done something in that direction by appointing a spokesperson for the international media. We also have the website http://www.arubatruth.com, but we need a spokesperson for Aruba self; that would be nice”, said Roos. He continued saying that a boycott of Twitty does not contribute to anything.

If a new investigative team comes in, it’ll take a lot of time for them to go over everything in the investigation
According to Eric Zaandam, in regards to Beth Twitty’s request which is madness
DIARIO Aruba
12/13/2005

ORANJESTAD (AAN): SPA president Eric Zaandam said that we have to be careful with the madness that Mrs. Twitty is requesting and saying, among others the fact that there has to be a new investigative team come in, in the case of the disappearance of her daughter.

This because his tactical and technical experience shows that if a new team comes in, they can’t obtain clarity In 6 months, to read all documents of what has happened in the case of Holloway.
It will take at least one year, in order to afterwards start with their investigation.

According to Zaandam, the time has come for the Public Prosecutor’s Office or the chief of police to start relating to the press what work has been done in this case and not do this in a global way, but to give specific information about what the investigative team has done.

Zaandam said that he was astounded when he saw the extensive work that the team has done, where they are investigating various different scenarios, in regards to the disappearance of the young American.

DIARIO asked Mr. Zaandam what is happening with the delegation that is thinking of going to the US, where he explained that attorney Arlene Schipper and Commissioner Dolfi Richardson will travel to Washington next week, for them to speak with an American senator, to give information about the case.

According to Zaandam, as long as this case is not solved, American show producers will continue to look for strategies to come up with bombs for Aruba.

Police Union president confirms that
Holloway case investigation has officially stopped
Until the government explains what exactly the role of the new prosecutor will be
DIARIO Aruba
12/13/2005

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Monday, the police union (SPA) held a press conference to clear up certain matters that are still pending with the police force. According to SPA president Eric Zaandam, there are some things that are going in a troublesome route and because of this he felt it would be good to hold a press conference.

According to Zaandam, he noted that letters that were sent to the police force, to indicate that certain persons cannot speak with the press anymore, etc. Also, in the Public Prosecutor’s Office, certain people cannot speak to the press, which makes everything fall upon the police force, on its employees.

According to the SPA president, it is now enough and they have to explain to the press what is taking place, so that the press can see what is going on.

Zaandam said that he wants to elaborate on the matter of Commissioner Dompig, where he has been prohibited from speaking to the press and that the Minister of Justice said that Dompig speaks too much with the press and because of this he has forbidden him from doing so.

According to Zaandam, 2 months ago Dompig was approached by AHATA’s CEO, who is a member of the Communications Task Force, Jorge Pesquera, to become spokesperson of the task force.

The reason was that a few consultancy companies in the US showed that the message on the part of Aruba was not reaching in a clear and strong manner internationally using the spokespersons that they were using.

The consultancy companies counseled the Task Force to get a person who knows the legal process and knows about investigations in Aruba and so they decided to approach Dompig to do this.

The arrangement for Dompig’s interviews was that all questions that were to be asked of Dompig, among others for the magazine ‘Vanity Fair’, were first screened by the consultancy companies so that Commissioner Dompig could give the appropriate answers. All this took place according rules and wording, with the Prime Minister’s knowledge who gave the OK for this.

Now that everything has come out in Vanity Fair and that the American producers have come out with another strategy to attack Aruba, all of a sudden Dompig has become a person who speaks too much.

The Minister of Justice came into the game, as if there was no communication between the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice, and now all the press knows that the Minister of Justice prohibited Commissioner Dompig from speaking.

These dirty games are unacceptable, according to Zaadam, who said that, for example, no one from the Task Force has come forward to say that they gave Commissioner Dompig the OK themselves, and that they have screened everything and that all was done in a correct manner.

The Prime Minister also can come forward to say that the Minister of Justice was at fault for prohibiting Dompig from speaking. This, according to Zaandam, who said that he wants to bring this type of thing forward to show how the police is being played by all other institutions.

All these games are for one sole objective that is unacceptable for the police, where for example prosecutor Karen Janssen was also prohibited to speak. After some time, now the Minister of Justice has expressed that prosecutor Angela from Curaçao has come to Aruba to conduct an investigation of the team of investigators.

According to the SPA president, Angela has come to Aruba to do this and not to assist in the investigation. This cannot be, according to Zaandam, who said that there can never be and investigation in an investigation.

After that SPA met with the team of investigators, they agreed that they are going to have everything on hold, until they are able to find out exactly what prosecutor Angela has come to do in Aruba. When they asked chief prosecutor Karen Janssen what prosecutor Angela came to do in Aruba, she said that she doesn’t know, that it’s something she can’t.

Prosecutor Angela hasn’t been in contact with the investigative team either, about for example, certain documents that he has related to the case, to see in detail what is taking place.

According to Zaandam, prosecutor Angela is sitting in an office at the Attorney General’s, is looking at the investigation files, which is something that cannot take place, and because of this they have stopped the investigation of the case, temporarily. Zaandam said that he realizes that this is a very troublesome decision, but it will be taken until they find more clarity about this.

He continued to say that now the American Senate has asked for more information on the case of Holloway and the intention of the government to send Arlene Schipper and Commissioner Dolfi Richardson to Washington.

Zaandam said that this is after three Commissioners that they added to the investigation of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. This way people’s attention is diverted.

This, according to the SPA president, who said that it is a public secret that there is a problem between the Attorney General and chief prosecutor Karen Janssen, and this is just something that cannot go on in the police force. According to Zaandam, he wants to avoid any division within the police force, that they government and others are trying to create.

First there was the supposed clash between Commissioner van der Straten and Commissioner Dompig, where van der Straten retired and things calmed down. Now Dompig took over the case, where they involved Dolfi Richardson in the game, to see if there was a clash.

SPA advised the two Commissioners that there is no clash in the police force and they expressed together that they are behind the investigative team, that they are together in this and that they speak together in respect to the team and the case. It is clear that if there is a separate power who wants to divide this team, they can forget about it.

According to Zaandam, the investigative team is doing a tremendous job and this has also been expressed by the Dutch colleagues, who were also in Aruba for the investigation.

These Dutch experts expressed in an FBI magazine that they could not have done a better job than the Aruban investigative team, however the Minister of Justice indicated that there will be an investigation of the investigative team, on the part of prosecutor Angela (whom he has respect for, according to Zaandam), who has barely 2 years as prosecutor, compared to the 15/16 years of experience of the prosecution’s office.
According to Zaandam, it’s best if they brought a prosecutor or expert from Holland, for example, who has a lit of experience in this area, for them to come do their investigation.

Zaandam said that the police of Aruba even listened to the FBI agents in Aruba speaking to their superiors in the US, saying what a good job the Aruban investigators are doing and do with the resources they have.

Bob Riley’s wide [sic] condemns Aruba
Amigoe
12/12/2005

ARUBA – Patsy Riley, the wife of the governor of Alabama, pledged to keep supporting the family of the missing Natalee Holloway for ever. “Realizing that a country turns her back on you”, said Riley crying. “The residents of Alabama will never turn their back on you.”

She said this during a prayer service for missing children in their home in Montgomery, Alabama last Thursday evening. Of course, the mother of Natalee Holloway Beth Twitty, her husband Jug Twitty, and a whole lot of friends of Holloway from Mountain Brook, where the Twitty’s live were there. The service was also attended by families of four other missing children. One of these families said that the service was more dedicated to Holloway, but that it didn’t matter, because the service was also for them very consolatory.

Currently, there are around 40 children and young adults missing in Alabama. “Another country is involved in Natalee’s case, which makes it a different crisis.” The collection during the service was for the Holloway family. In October of this year, the governor of Alabama made an appeal to boycott Aruba. He thought that the governors of the remaining 49 states would follow his example, but up till now, only the governor of Arkansas answered his appeal.

Writ against public speaking for chief of police Dompig
Amigoe
12/09/2005

ARUBA – Chief of police, Gerold Dompig, who is in charge of the investigation on the missing Natalee Holloway, is no longer allowed to speak to the media. Justice-minister Rudy Croes has sent him a written order.

The letter came shortly after it became public that Dompig had given a interview to the American magazine Vanity Fair. He told the magazine that the family Holloway / Twitty had obstructed the investigation from the beginning. Consequence to this article, Beth Twitty is again being interviewed in several American TV-shows. She said in The Early Show on CBS that it is very difficult for her to even react on the suggestion. “Everybody knows that we have always respected the Dutch judicial system and we have collaborated with them, until it became very disadvantageous for Natalee. That’s when it became necessary for us to seek help.” Dompig talks too much. Recently, he told the Amigoe how the investigation team was busy doing a profile investigation. Attention is not being focused on the possible suspects here, but the victim. By profiling the victim, the police can figure out what type of people would approach her. “From this investigation it appeared that Natalee was not at all the exceptional person that her family made us believe. During her stay in Aruba, she was a party animal and consumed a lot of alcohol. She most probably used drugs and offered this to others. It appeared that Natalee was even after Joran van der Sloot. He didn’t need much persuasiveness to get her.” According to Dompig, there are three new analysts investigating the case. They read the file and ask questions. “Important is not to be blind.”

Public Prosecutor reacts to the Amigoe article
PG: Publications do not square with the truth
DIARIO Aruba
12/09/2005

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Thursday, the Public Prosecutor sent a press release to all media, related to an article that appeared in the Amigoe newspaper, where it was published the Attorney General is involved in ongoing cases.

The release says the following: About the level of handling, the Public Prosecutor has decided that it is only the information department of the Public Prosecution that will maintain contact with the press and give information about penal cases.

This is done specifically so that the prosecutor can concentrate only on the investigation and also because in a small community, it is important for the prosecutor to remain outside the light cast by the media.

The information department is equipped with qualified people in the area of information and communications. All workers have to leave them to this handling.

In Holland, all prosecutors have to have them in the handling which was stipulated and it is not tolerated that prosecutors do not do this and do whatever they want. The AG is not involved in cases.

It is not true that the AG involved herself in cases that are ongoing. The AG did not ‘dismiss’ any case either. The AG does not have the authority to do so, only the prosecutor.

The AG does not permit any person or institution to influence the decision of the prosecutor. The AG was not involved in the decision in the cases of two suspects of the governing board office.

The AG does not involve herself in the decisions of the prosecutor, for cases. The AG demands that there is handling of this, and that all prosecutors use the same criteria when taking decisions in penal cases, which now is not the case.

The AG regrets that things that are not true are said about the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The AG emphasizes at all times that all members of the Public Prosecution’s office have to speak the truth at always, because the citizens have placed their trust in them.

What the AG is trying to do, is to make the Public Prosecution Office a well-organized and professional institution. The AG had encountered a Public Prosecution’s Office that is not organized.

When the AG assumed her work, she met a Public Prosecution’s office that was disorganized, where there was no supervision of the work performed by prosecutors, where it was not known how many cases entered, what type of cases these where, and what happened to this cases.

There was never a management plan, where all souls were working on the same yearly summary of four or five pages, where case dossiers were disappearing without anyone knowing where they went.

Cases remained dormant to later be dismissed, because time had elapsed. Work procedures were not fixed and almost no work rules existed for prosecutors.

On this side there was a number of instances where authorities were to conduct a penal investigation and that they wanted to do this, but they were frustrated by disappointing experiences with the Public Prosecution. The citizen complained that he made the complaint and heard nothing else.

The AG is working along with many other good workers of the Public Prosecution’s Office, who have the same objectives ahead of them, to fix all these matters that according to the AG cannot go on in an institution as important as the Public Prosecution’s Office.

The guide for this is the law and what the law prescribes. According to the law, the AG is at the head of the Public Prosecution’s Office and is also responsible for what the prosecutors do in the first instance.

Related to these responsibilities, the AG cannot permit not to work according to the law, saying that the law has to be applied in a creative and flexible way. Examples of bad use of power.

An example of bad use of power is when permission is given to detain a person for a punishable offense, with the objective to interrogate for another punishable offense.

Another example is when dossiers of a case end up (missing?) and after a lot of searching it comes out that the person is responsible is from the Public Prosecution’s Office.

When you let a case dossier be destroyed, along with a sentence card, this is also a bad use o power. Bad use of power is also when the decision of the judge changes and the sentence that the judge imposes is reduced. As boss of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the AG will never permit such practices.

Lastly, the release says that the AG was selected as ‘Woman of the Year’ in the newspaper The News in the year 1998 and in the newspaper DIARIO in 2003. The selection of the newspaper DIARIO was principally because the AG instituted an information department at the Public Prosecution’s Office.

In response to yesterday's Amigo article:

ARUBA – Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP) gave the public prosecutor
(OM) till December 17th the time to solve the internal problems. The
conflict between chief district attorney Karin Janssen and Attorney
General Theresa Croes-Fernandes Perna has been going on for six months
already. The minister is now threatening with taking measures against the
chief district attorney, because the Attorney General (PG) is her
superior.

One of the reasons for the conflict is the way the media was
informed in the Holloway-case. Janssen, who is a media-officer in the
Netherlands, is of the opinion that it was not professionally done. The
conflict escalated when Janssen was interviewed by the Nova. The OM then sent
Janssen’s cellular telephone number to all the local and international
media that was present. “Now that she has spoken to one journalist, she
might as well speak to all of them”, said OM-media information official
Mariaine Croes, daughter of the Attorney General. At that moment,
Janssen was up to her ears in the investigation on the disappeared Natalee
Holloway and got in trouble because of this. It was decided shortly
after that the OM would only give written information on this case. Another
reason for the conflict is that Janssen is of the opinion that the
Attorney General is too much involved with current investigations instead
of working on policy level. She resents at the PG interfering
with the case of two suspicious MEP-supporters that made anonymous
threats by phone from the Government office. The PG dismissed this case
without consulting Janssen. Former chief of police, Jan van der Straten
also clashed with minister Croes about this.

It could have something to do with his declaration on Vanity Fair magazine
Minister Rudy Croes forbids commissioner Gerold Dompig from speaking to the media
This despite that he was appointed to speak by the Strategic Commission
Bon Dia Aruba
12/08/2005


ORANJESTAD – Commissioner Gerold Dompig has been forbidden to speak to the press. It is Bon Dia Aruba’s understanding that it happened this week. It has been only a day since this daily has spoken to the Minister of Justice Rudy Croes, who indicated that certain people speak a lot to the press and that this must come to a stop. On this occasion, he made mention of among others, chief prosecutor Karin Janssen. But now it results that commissioner Dompig is also one of those who was ordered to shut his mouth when it comes to dealing with the press. This despite that the commissioner was one of the ones appointed by the Strategic Committee to take the word. With the arrival of Steve Cohen, this could change?

VANITY FAIR

The fact is that only a few days after the Vanity Fair article was published on the case of Natalee Holloway, where Gerold Dompig made certain very skerpi[?] declarations on the manner in which the investigation was going. There are indications that this did not fall well with Minister Croes who called the attention of the police chief who in turn sent a letter to commissioner Dompig informing him that effective immediately, he is not permitted to speak to the press anymore.

NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES

It is Bon Dia Aruba’s understanding that this point could bring about negative consequences for Aruba as well, in the sense that the international media can interpret this as an act of censorship on the part of the Aruba government and the police corps. Especially since it has only been some days that the magazine published its electronic edition. The Vanity Fair edition will arrive on the market this week for part of America and next week for all of America. And already there are measures taken for Dompig.

At the Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino
AHATA President and CEO Jorge Pesquera addresses general assembly
DIARIO Aruba
12/08/2005

ORANJESTAD (AAN) – At the recent AHATA General Assembly, the president and CEO if the association addressed the assembly. ‘We mean business’, he said when he called a welcome to the members of the association, members of parliament and leaders of the community.

Tourism is the heart and soul of Aruba, he reiterated, and worries everyone profoundly. With a new management team and a strong membership base, AHATA called for a welcome of the new year with much satisfaction for the past achievements and an anticipation of even better things that will come.

According to Pesquera, the coming year will be marked by challenges in respect to airlines and a lot of competition by the surrounding islands. This deals with consumer confidence that waivers due to a weak American economy, high cost of heating, bird flu fears and passport requirements to travel to the Caribbean.

Aside the challenges, Pesquera looked at past and present achievements; he cited two companies that were recently recruited to lend their expertise to Aruba: La Cure and USDM. Both are positioned to become strong contributors in the general category of marketing.

New advertising, a new web site, as well as the destination revision by the conference planners, Aruba’s future is bright, declared Pesquera.

During the last six months, as a result of the disappearance of Holloway, AHATA reacted rapidly and effectively, he explained, by creating the Strategic Communications Task Force, recruiting the NGO’s, exerting media control in America, launching www.arubatruth.com , nurturing relationships with the community and diverting the Dr. Phil boycott in Philadelphia and contracting spokesperson Steve Cohen to work on behalf of the island.

The other aspect of ‘We really mean business’ includes training, education and acknowledgement, three important aspects that AHATA is promoting by hosting international speakers, such as Prof. Chekitan Dev and by continuing with a fruitful consortium with the University of Aruba and Dr. Ryan Peterson.

Dave Holloway also asks Mississippi for Aruba boycott
DIARIO Aruba
12/08/2005

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Another family member of Natalee Holloway, who in Aruba has always been regarded as one of the ‘most reasonable’ to discuss with, Dave Holloway, on Wednesday declared that he started urging the Governor of Mississippi to join the travel boycott against Aruba.

Dave Holloway is Natalee’s biological father, and is from Meridian, a town in Mississippi. He is urging Governor Haley Barbour to join in the boycott that has been called by those in Alabama and Arkansas.

A spokesman let it be known that the Governor of Mississippi hasn’t had time to consider the boycott, because the Governor is very busy related to the consequences of Hurricane Katrina in his state, but that he will check into the matter.

Minister Rudy Croes brings in Aruba Attorney from Curaçao
A.M. Digital
12/08/2005

“We have managed to convince a tremendous Attorney in Curaçao to come to Aruba and help us in the case of Natalee Holloway, and especially to find out if and where mistakes could have been made. Attorney Angela is Aruba born and is presently stationed in Curaçao” confirmed Minister of Justice Rudy Croes.

Angela already received all documents and the intentions were to have him work from one of the offices of the Public Prosecutor however, Minister Croes prevented this from happening and instructed to provide the attorney with a private office where he could work without any outside influence in order for him to function totally independent.

“I must ask those that like to talk a lot to stop doing that and leave the talking to those authorized” said Minister Croes but he did not mention who he was referring to.
The Justice Executive admitted that many times he heard certain individuals airing nonsense on the “radar” (we guess he meant “radio”) but he did not wish to point the finger at anybody.

In the meantime it seems that the situation is still tense in the Public Prosecutor’s office. Although Minister Croes stipulated a time frame in which he expected everything to be resolved, this did not happen. The Minister of Justice again admitted not to be pleased with the situation and said that by the end of this month a decision will be made on how to solve the situation in the Public Prosecutor’s office. Somebody has to go?

If by the 17 of December there’s no solution, Minister will take measures
Internal problems at the Public Prosecutor’s have to be solved soon
“Chief prosecutor (Jansen) has to know that she has an AG ahead of her” – Minister Rudy Croes
Bon Dia Aruba
12/07/2005

ORANJESTAD – Chief Prosecutor Karen Jansen has to know that there is a general attorney and an AG ahead of her. Everything has to do with rank. Minister Rudy Croes gave the Public Prosecution personnel until the 17 of December to solve the internal problems they have. Here he confirmed that there is still a problem at the Public Prosecution where there are certain persons who are looking for problems by undermining the authority of their boss.

He made specific mention of the chief prosecutor who has a problem with the AG. The mandatory said that he is aware of the situation. He is not happy with how things are going in the department and that after the 17 of this month, a decision will be taken of what measures to takle

PROSECUTOR ANGELA

As first confirmed by Bon Dia Aruba some weeks back, Minister Rudy Croes spoke about the arrival of prosecutor Angela from Curacao, who is a respected Aruban in his field of work. His objective will be to conduct an independent investigation of the case of Natalee Holloway. However he will not be located at the Public Prosecution. The mandatory demonstrated that he doesn’t want for prosecutor Angela to be influenced by the Public Prosecution and as such, he will be given all the information for him to work on during his stay here in Aruba. Here he will be able to do work completely independently.

TALK A LOT

The work of the prosecutor will be to help with the investigation and solve this, and where things went badly, to solve this to avoid these from happening again in the future. The mandatory sent a strong signal for those who are talking too much, for them to stop talking a little and let the authorized people speak. According to the mandatory, a few times he has heard people speak nonsense on television.

LINE OF COMMAND

He spoke of a letter that he sent to all departments where they have to follow the line of command. If you a boss, you have to follow the line. If you show a lack of respect for your boss, the Minister cannot accept this from any government department, less still from the Public Prosecution.

Breaking: On the Larry King Show: Now Dr. Phil believes that Natalee is dead
DIARIO Aruba
12/07/2005

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Tuesday night, the famous Dr. Phil was on Larry King’s program, where he was to come speak about the case of Natalee Holloway, and the general public had the opportunity to call the program and ask questions. Dr. Phil was on the program to promote his book as well, which deals about couples relationships and how one can ‘date’ a person. One of the spectators who called asked Dr. Phil if he believes that Natalee was kidnapped and used as a prostitute.

According to Dr. Phil, this is probably the case and he also said that he believes that Natalee is dead. After he recently said on television that he has leads which show that Natalee is alive, now he is saying that he believes that the youngster is dead.

He didn’t say why, but perhaps he has found certain information. ‘Who knows’. Another person called and said that they always go to Aruba, but now that now, they will wait until the time that the case is resolved to visit the island again.

The person asked Dr. Phil what he thinks about the boycott, where he answered that he believes that Aruba probably doesn’t have sophisticated and necessary resources to conduct a good investigation, in the way that is desired, and this is what caused problems in the investigation.

In regards to the word boycott, Dr. Phil tried to be very cautious to not use this word, but in a fine manner he told the spectators that called, that it’s best to go visit other parts of America that they haven’t seen, rather than to visit Aruba. This shows that Dr. Phil is perhaps realizing that he has to have a little more caution with what he says, perhaps feeling that soon everything will come out, and it is not the fault of the people of Aruba for the whole situation.

People who talk a lot, have to stop talking and let the appropriate people talk
This according to the Minister of Justice after a question about Dompig’s declarations on Vanity Fair
DIARIO Aruba
12/07/2005

ORANJESTAD(AAN): During an interview with the Minister of Justice, the press asked the mandatory about the fact that an interview with Commissioner Dompig appeared in Vanity Fair, where he said that in the case of Natalee Holloway he arrested people to please the family.

Minister Croes said that there now is a tremendous Aruban prosecutor, who works in Curacao, who has just been asked to come to Aruba to give a hand, to do an independent investigation of the investigation which took place, where she will find all the documents.

According to Minister Croes, the Public Ministry [in Aruba] asked to work with them, however the Minister wants for her to do a completely, totally independent job, to help resolve the case and to detect where things went badly, for us to avoid them in the future.

The Minister said that he asks for people who talk too much, to stop talking a little, in order to let the appropriate people speak.

Holloway-case on Larry King live
Amigoe
12/07/2005

ARUBA -- Last night, a lawyer and a former district attorney condemned the media hype on the Natalee Holloway-case on Larry King on CNN. They talked about the Holloway-case in anticipation of tonight’s broadcast, when Dr. Phil as well as private detective Jamie Skeeters is going to give an explanation on the videotape with a recording on Deepak Kalpoe.

Mark Geragos and Mary Fulginiti both agree that if it was their case, as lawyer and district attorney, they would have kicked Dr Phil off the case. They do not understand Dr Phil’s involvement with this case. It is very irresponsible allowing suspects to speak and interfere so intense with a case like this. It is very bad when citizens meddle in an investigation. Very often, this damages the case as well as the evidence. They say that the media-attention has played into the defense of the suspects hands. “Suppose the OM wants to persecute the suspect. It is then very easy for the defense to say that the recordings have been tampered with. And that makes all the other evidence doubtful.” They emphasize that it is revolting trying to impose the American system on Aruba.

Related to the case of Natalee Holloway
Aruba will try in every way to give correct information
DIARIO Aruba
12/05/2005

ORANJESTAD(AAN): Recently, during the press conference of the Strategic Task Force, the new spokesperson, Steve Cohen, was asked how Aruba has planned to give our side of the coin, in what concerns the case of Natalee Holloway.

According to Cohen, they have to approach the American programs and make an appeal for them to be fair, so in this way we can give our side, after Beth Twitty and others who are boycotting Aruba have found many opportunities to speak badly of Aruba.

According to Cohen, he hopes that they feel the obligation to let us tell our side of the story.

The press asked Mr. Cohen what the plan is, if the TV channels do not give us this opportunity.

He explains that he has good relations with various TV channels and with the Associated Press, while the Strategic Communications Task Force also has their own ‘blog’, on which to put all necessary relevant information.

At the AHATA General Assembly
New Chairman Alfonso Riveroll makes an excellent speech
A.M. Digital
12/05/2005

The Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino hosted the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association General Assembly last week. On the assembly’s agenda: the election of the new board with Chairman Alfonso Riveroll at the helm.

Riveroll, the owner of the Wyndham Aruba Resort Spa & Casino was visibly excited to assume the leadership of Aruba’s most important association

He’s honored and privileged he explained, to accept the role of Chairman of the Board of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association. As a board member for the past years, and after serving as first vice chair this year he is well aware, he stated, of the responsibilities and challenges the position entails.

“Let me assure all of you who have placed your trust in me, that I am committed to making a major difference for AHATA and thus for the people of Aruba,” he declared.

A love Affair with Aruba

Riveroll first came to Aruba in 1955, and he’s had a love affair with the island since then, citing the warmth and friendliness of the people here, as the foundation of the island’s success.

Public & Private Sector Partnership

The new chairman of AHATA stated he believed in open doors, and in seeking alliances, thus promoting work in partnership with the members of the association, the business community and the government.

He will encourage, he declared, close ties with the Trade and Industry Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the Retailers and the Gastronomic Association, and he would solicit opinions, support and cooperation in making tourism the greatest contributor to the well-being of Aruba as a community.

Message to the Aruba Tourism Authority

When addressing his colleagues at the Aruba Tourism Authority and other important public sector agencies, Riveroll said that it was time for new thinking and new ways of looking at their respective roles. He asked the public sector to become a facilitator, an enabler, and a cheerleader for the private sector.

Public sector agencies, he reiterated should attempt to control less, and be more concerned with results.

Global trends are clear, he explained, as less public sector bureaucracy yields more public & private sector partnerships, which are the keys to economic success.

Just like the private sector, Riveroll advised, government should also be modeled after enterprise, becoming flexible, entrepreneurial and most of all accountable.

Accountability, Riveroll stressed, must be the guiding light as Aruba moves forward.

Meet Aruba should become a partnership

Praising the recent creation of Meet Aruba, an effective Group Marketing and Sales Organization, Riveroll lamented that valuable time was wasted in trying to establish the ground rules for a partnership with the Aruba Tourism Authority, the government agency.

“In our industry,” Riveroll warned, “wasting time is like handing market share to our competitors. It is something that we simply cannot afford to do.”

Meet Aruba also formed an alliance with the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions, and really put Aruba on the map in the Meetings and Convention market, in just three months, Riverol informed.

It is his hope; he added that the Aruba Tourism Authority, seeing the quick, success and professional results of Meet Aruba, would rejoin the organization, as originally intended
With private sector contributions, both financial and intellectual reflected in the board of governance, Meet Aruba could and would continue to grow, Riveroll indicated.

Team with Common Purpose

At the end of his presentation, Riveroll reflected a bit on the most unprecedented level of media attention, Aruba has received in the past six month, most of it negative.

“Our image,” he said, “has certainly been tarnished and AHATA has been at the forefront with ATA, ATIA, Government, Chamber of Commerce and local business leaders, teaming up with a common purpose, to preserve the island’s image and minimize the impact of the Holloway disappearance. We have fared well, but we need to face such challenges with bold and fast actions,” he stated.

He pointed out that despite having differences, all entities managed to develop a great rapport, a fact he deemed invaluable to future collaborations, and while he was committed to making a difference and to working with everyone who wanted to move mountains, he called for modification of outdated structures and old ways of thinking.

He concluded his well-received address with compliments to AHATA CEO, Jorge Pesquera his fine team and the AHATA board.

Aruba he predicted will remain the most successful destination in the Caribbean. And while the job as Chairman of the AHATA board is a voluntary one, Riverol expects it to become the most fulfilling job of his life.

The Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association General Assembly Elects
A New Board for AHATA
A.M. Digital
12/05/2005

The Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association voted in a new board at its general assembly which took place at the Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino.

The owner of the Wyndham Aruba Resort Spa & Casino, businessman Alfonso Riveroll, became the new Chairman of the Board for the Association.

Fellow hotelier Ewald Biemans, Bucuti Beach Resort & Tara Suites, became 1st Vice Chair while Warren Stanley, Atlantis Adventure assumed the role of 2nd Vice Chair. Marriott General Manager Rick Zeolla will serve as Treasurer of the Association and Alex Nieuwmeyer, Divi & Tamarijn Beach Resort accepted responsibilities as the board’s Secretary.

Board members voted in are businessman Eduardo de Veer, Renaissance/Meta Corp; Banker Bill Carson, Caribbean Mercantile Bank; hotelier Scott Allen, Hyatt Regency; Director Peter Steinmetz, Aruba Airport Authority; Public Relations official David Smith, Valero Oil Refinery, Lisette Malmberg, De Palm Tours and hotelier Werner Hein, Occidental Resort.

The election process was assisted by Dr. Ryan Peterson, Universidad di Aruba, attorney Antonio Carlo and Marlene Purcell, Salamander Holdings under the supervision of consultant Jaap Beaujon.

The new board is seen here in the picture with members of the outgoing board and Jorge Pesquera AHATA’s President and CEO.

New spokesperson in the US Steve Cohen referring to Beth Twitty
Sadness is no reason to not speak the truth
Our island now has a person recognized in the US to bring forth the other side of the case of Natalee Holloway
Bon Dia Aruba
12/3/2005

Cohen was involved with the SCTF from the beginning. Has written many articles and has been in contact with American media to show what Aruba has been doing.

Pesquera doesn't believe any other country would have done as much as Aruba has done. If you could put a price on it, the price tag of what they have done is in the millions. The hotel and food costs covered for the family of Natalee Holloway is up to $350 k. The expenses of the government, in terms of police overtime and all other expenses, for example lost productivity, the half day off given to public employees, etc. is in the millions.

Cohen is working to bring the other side of the story to the American media. Among others, he is working with CBS on a story of Aruba which will air in February.

Cohen will go on local TV of the most important markets for Aruba to put forth the real image of Aruba.