7.23.2005

Clear message again to let FBI help in investigation
Two Ministers sent letter to Attorney General

DIARIO Aruba
7/23/2005

[translated by arubagirl for Scared Monkeys]

ORANJESTAD (AAN): This week, the Alabama legislation approved a motion that suggests that all people from Alabama avoid visiting Aruba until the Natalee Holloway case is resolved.

But Thursday both PM Oduber and Minister of Justice Croes sent a letter to the Attorney General to thus confirm the instruction to use all legal methods to guarantee involvement of the FBI, referring to the investigation of the disappearance of the Alabama student.

Ministers insist, that the involvement must be at all levels, this means that the FBI must have complete access to the dossier, including all reports, audio recordings, footage of interrogation as well as all material that deals with this case, so far that the judicial system allows this.

In case that the actual phase of the investigation limits this level of involvement, then the instruction is to use all necessary legal methods to permit and even guarantee complete access to the FBI. In case that external expertise is needed, then the Government gives authorization and instruction to the Attorney General to do this.

Finally, it must be imperative that no doubt can exist that the Aruban authority guarantees total cooperation in this case with American authority, just as the case was from the beginning, inside the limitations of the judicial system.

It has been made clear to DIARIO that for many years already, the cooperation between the [Aruban] Police Corps and among others, the FBI and DEA was open and close. Never were there any problems in this.

The letter was also sent to the Governor, relevant departments, American Embassy, to the FBI, press and also the Holloway family.

The actual text of the letter, translated by me. Never say I don’t love you

Office of the Ministry of Justice

To the Attorney General

Oranjestad, 21 July 2005

Subject: Nathalee [sic] Holloway

Confirmed for the proper procedural ways is the instruction for obvious reasons to you to use all lawful methods to guarantee the involvement of the FBI in the investigation.

This involvement must be complete and means that the FBI is allowed to receive all interrogation reports, movies and audio recordings in addition to to all obtained materials that relates to this investigation. In short: the dossier is open to the FBI for as much as our justice system allows.

In case that the current phase of the investigation limits this complete involvement, then the explicit instructions are to use all lawful methods to ensure i.e. guarantee the involvement of the FBI. We authorize -instruct you, if you will- you to seek help of external experts as necessary.

In closing, there is not allowed to be any doubt that Aruba, in this [case] guarantees the cooperation with the American authorities, just as it was since the beginning, within the borders of our own justice system.

Signed

The Prime Minister, Minister of General Affairs
N.O. Oduber

The Minister of Justice
Dr. H.R. (Rudy) Croes

c.c.: Governor / Ministers / Justice Dept. / Aruba Police Corps / Foreign Relations Dept. / USA Emb. / FBI / Holloway fam. / Security Neth. Antilles/ Media