According to spokesperson for Public Prosecutor
Prosecutor Kruimel is conducting investigation of the facts in the case of Natalee Holloway
Where a few people were heard for two and three times
DIARIO Aruba
3/30/2006

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Wednesday, DIARIO interviewed the spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor, drs. Mariaine Croes, and asked her the reason for her trip to Holland recently.

She said that it was true that a few weeks back she went to Holland, while Commissioner Dompig also went. She said it’s not true that she went to Holland because she is in charge of the investigation.

According drs Croes, this is not possible according to the law, because she works as a communications consultant for the Public Prosecutor. This is the function she performs and it is under this mandate that she went to Holland.

She explained that Commissioner Dompig went because he heads the police tea in the case of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

According to drs Croes, they went to Holland because the investigative team in the case of the disappearace took the initiative to go explore the possibilities available to them, to deal with this case in the Dutch television program Opsporing Verzocht”.

She explained that although the program is in Holland, the responsibility falls on the Public Prosecutor, because the investigation is being guided by a prosecutor from the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Aruba and it is conducted by the members of the Aruba Police Force.

The program is going to make some specific questions to the members of the Aruban community, Holland and the U.S.

In this program, Dutch police is working together with the program producers and in this case, with Aruban authorities, to try to solve the case.

According to drs. Croes, via this program, they want to reach different people, not only people in Holland, but also in the U.S. and Aruba.

Given that it deals with three different cultures, the intention is to look for the most objective way to formulate the questions, in order to be able to reach all the different people, to ask them what you want to know objectively.

This program has solved many different cases, from the smallest of cases, like for example a bank robbery, to big murder cases.

DIARIO asked the spokesperson for the Public Prosecution what are the latest developments in the case of Natalee Holloway apart from the program Opsporing Verzocht.

She said that currently there’s a team that is officially called “Zoek en Vind Team”, that has come to Aruba with dogs from the K.O.P.D. Also, there are other experts in Aruba, who are also helping in the search.

DIARIO asked drs. Croes how the investigative team insisted to search in the same area that they have already searched on different occasions, the dunes near the lighthouse.

According to drs. Croes, the zones where they will search are zones that the investigation has indicated that if they have already searched, they have to search again as if they haven’t searched, to be 100% certain that they can exclude the area.

DIARIO asked the spokesperson of the Public Prosecutor if they are coming close to a conclusion of this case.

Drs Croes explained that the investigation is ongoing and while the more issues are excluded, the close they will arrive to a conclusion of the case, where the case will be closed, when they have investigated everything that they have set out to investigate.

DIARIO asked drs Croes if the Public Prosecutor was aware of the CBS program on which Commissioner Dompig appeared, which was recorded.

She said yes. DIARIO also asked if she feels the American press is looking to speak to her in regards to this case.

She said that the interest is still great, but she gives all information on the case in writing.

DIARIO also asked how the so called ‘feiten onderzoek’ (investigation into the facts) is going, to which she said that this investigation is still ongoing and it is for members of the Landsrecherche.

The members of the Landsrecherche are conducting the investigation under the guidance of prosecutor Kruimel of the Public Prosecutor.

The spokesperson said that it is important to bring forth the fact that the prosecutor who guides any feiten onderzoek, is the one who decides what information can be given to the press, etc. and at what time this can be divulged. The prosecutor indicated that the investigation is ongoing, where there are people who are being heard twice and some three times.