4.07.2006

High Commissioner mr. Bernadina explains:
It was Commissioner Gerold Dompig himself who asked to be removed from the Holloway case
DIARIO Aruba
4/7/2006

ORANJESTAD (AAN) -- DIARIO interviewed High Commissioner mr. Ronny Bernadina, related with the changes that arose surrounding the investigation of the case of the disappearance of the American student, Natalee Holloway, which is still underway.

The High Commissioner explained that the police force designates the persons who will work on certain cases, and in this case, Commissioner Gerold Dompig was working on this investigation, but what happened is that last Monday, Mr. Dompig approached Mr. Bernadina, and asked for his retirement as lead investigator on the tactical aspects of the Holloway case.

Bernadina explained that when such a case presents itself, all the responsibility goes to the Public Prosecutor.

The High Commissioner said that he doesn’t want to go into details on the reasons why Mr. Dompig took such a decision, but mr. Bernadina made it be known that he sat down with the Attorney General already and they put another person at the head of the investigation. The High Commissioner reiterated that Mr. Gerold Dompig himself asked to be removed.

The High Commissioner indicated that the team is actually the one that does the main task, and not the tactical guide.

Currently, the investigative team is reinforced by the help of Holland, in what refers to the technical, material and search aspects, which is much appreciated.
These are parts that come into play in the ‘procesverbaal’ and that at any given moment, the Public Prosecutor has to present to the judge, and this will not bring any problems for the investigation process.

About the fact that Mr. Dompig is no longer assistant [deputy] to mr. Bernadina anymore, the latter said that every year there are changes in this position, and it had to have happened last January, and in this case, Commissioner Krozendijk is mr. Bernadina’s replacement for this year and for 2007 they will name another person. He emphasized that this is a clarification he wanted to make.
Dompig no longer on Holloway-case
Amigoe
4/7/2006

ARUBA - Since the beginning of this week, the Aruban Chief of Police is no longer the leader of the team that investigates the disappearance of Natalie Holloway.

Spokesperson of the Public Prosecutor, Marianne Croes mentioned today that Dompig was taken off the case, but didn't want to say why. According to Croes, all the four district chiefs of police have been assigned a new portfolio. Holloway has been missing since May of 2005. Dompig was the second leader of the investigation team. The first one was Jan van der Straten, who retired and is the chief of police in Bonaire for the period of one year.

4.06.2006



While he doesn’t want to give a lot of information

Gerold Dompig said that information given about his demotion is not true
He referred us to High Commissioner Bernadina for more information
Bon Dia Aruba
4/6/2006

ORANJESTAD – It is not true that Gerold Dompig was demoted in his functions as some media outlets published yesterday. After many attempts, Bon Dia Aruba was able to contact the Commissioner, who did not want to give out too much information, but categorically denied that the information published was true. Further, the Commissioner did not want to talk and referred us to High Commissioner Bernadina.

DEMOTED

This situation became more interesting, given that Dompig denied that he was already demoted. An investigation Bon Dia Aruba conducted, demonstrates that Dompig himself approached High Commissioner Ronny Bernadina to ask to be pulled as head of the case, and leave him only as a consultant. This was based on purely personal reasons. This conversation between the High Commissioner and Dompig must’ve taken place last Monday, according to Bon Dia Aruba’s understanding. Again Dompig was approached, but he indicated that Mr. Bernadina was the one who had to give this information.

NORMAL PROCEDURES

The fact that he was demoted as interim Korpschef does not make sense either, because it is normal procedure that every year the interim korpschef is changed in a rotation system. And here Dompig acted as interim last year and also the first quarter of this year. As such, he has to cede his function to another commissioner. It is pure coincidence that this happened this way.

LACK OF COMMUNICATION

Anyway, the situation is that there is a lack of communication about this whole matter, where the Minister is not up to date of what is happening in the police force and is declaring things that do not make sense on the street. Bon Dia Aruba will continue to keep an eye on this matter and see how this information be interpreted in the central circles of Aruba.
Gerold Dompig remains spokesperson but not head of the Natalee Holloway investigative team
Bon Dia Aruba
4/6/2006

ORANJESTAD – Commissioner Gerold Dompig remains as the person in charge of the investigation of the case of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. This was declared yesterday morning by Minister Rudy Croes during a press conference. At the same time, the Minister indicated that although h preferred for inspector Dolfi Richardson to be the spokesperson for this case, Richardson himself asked for Dompig to remain the spokesperson, due to his knowledge of the case. As such, Dompig was re-appointed as spokesperson for this case.

MEDIA

It was yesterday that a few media outlets reported that Gerold Dompig will no longer be at the head of the investigation, and that he wouldn’t be the spokesperson either, and finally that he wouldn’t be acting interim High Commissioner. A question from Bon Dia Aruba indicated that according to the Minister, this information was not known by him, and that as far as he knows, Dompig remains spokesperson and the one in charge of the investigation.

ROTATING POSITION

Where there really were changes was that the Minister obtained counsel from High Commissioner Bernadina to name Coizy Krozendijk as interim High Commissioner, replacing Commissioner Dompig. This is something normal, due to the fact that he decided to rotate this position every year. Last year was Dompig’s year, and this year it has to change, but the change had not taken place. When Minister Croes asked Bernadina how much time he wants for the change to take place, Bernadina said that it could take place immediately, that is to say, this past 1st of April.

NEWS REFUTED

With this, the Minister of justice wants to refute the news that Dompig was already stripped of his functions and responsibilities, as some media outlets published previously yesterday morning.
Serious accusation from American journalist
MSNBC producer connects possible ‘witness’ with high ranked policeman
Bon Dia Aruba
4/6/2006

ORANJESTAD—The fact that there is another commissioner in charge of the investigation of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway led to some speculation about what was the real motive. These speculations took life especially in the American media, which in one way or the other continues with a twisted view about Aruba.

Bon Dia Aruba received information that a producer from the cable channel MSNBC made a connection between a supposed drug dealer, B.N., and Natalee Holloway, given that the former admitted to selling drugs to the latter. The problem is, according to this producer, that this person is Commissioner Dompig’s brother-in-law. The American journalist related the whole conversation he had with B.N., in the presence of Fred Golba, who recently was still in Aruba, under the request of Commissioner Dompig himself. Among other things, one of the investigators in the investigative team admitted to the journalist that B.N. is a person of interest, and that he gave Fred Golba the freedom to investigate him, but not officially. The police never let Golba conduct an official investigation.

According to the MSNBC producer, B.N. is known on the beach in front of Moomba. He himself was present when B.N. was selling cocaine and marijuana. “Police were passing by, but never even saw what was happening”, the reporter said in a letter which arrived at Bon Dia Aruba. So much so that B.N. even showed Fred Golba a ‘hiding place’ from where he was able to see Natalee’s hotel room, according to the American producer.

B.N. related too that he knew beforehand of the Alabama group’s travels, and that Natalee approached him to buy drugs. Here, the journalist quoted B.N. saying that Natalee even asked for alcohol (something which is not logical, given that the Alabama group had an ‘all inclusive’ package which also included alcohol). Following the American journalist’s account in a letter, B.N. procured for the whole Alabama group to obtain access to drugs during their stay in Aruba. B.N. went into detail about everything to do with Natalee and the group with the journalist, and this whole conversation was recorded. The same member of the investigative team who was in contact with the journalist asked for this recording, given that the team did not have all these details. But the reporter did not give him the recording.

It was interesting that B.N. said to the American gentleman that he knows more about the case, but that only money would make him talk.

It has to be said that it is not the first time that Bon Dia Aruba has heard of this person B.N., however, there was no way to obtain official confirmation of what exactly was his involvement and whether the relation he has to Commissioner Dompig plays a role in this investigation or not.

In any case, he got in contact with Fred Golba, who mentioned him to the MSNBC reporter. His reaction was that [with?] the journalist is frustrated and that B.N. has a kid’s mind. “You can quote me. A parrot has more consciousness than B.N.”, Golba said to Bon Dia Aruba.

In what relates to the journalist, Golba said that he really did meet with him in Aruba, and even brought him to the police station once. But now that the reporter didn’t get what he wanted, he started to act irritated. Golba is not aware if there truly was a conversation between the journalist and B.N., or if there was really an exchange of drugs. “If I was aware of this, I would have gone to police immediately”, Golba assured Bon Dia Aruba. “The authorities are doing the best they can, under the current circumstances. B.N., in my mind, is not a person that can be counted on”. He also got in touch with the investigative team to see what their comments were, and the only reaction that he found was that they could not say anything. Bon Dia Aruba is aware that in the past they have already spoken with B.N. and that they are aware of his statements. What’s more, B.N. called other reporters (local) to say that he knows what happened to Natalee Holloway. But this person never really concretized what he wanted to say.
Dutch criminal law scholars express
Big criticism about Aruban investigation in the case of Natalee Holloway
DIARIO Aruba
4/6/2006

ORANJESTAD(AAN): Dutch criminal law experts recently expressed big criticism about the Aruban police investigation into the disappearance of Natalee Holloway
They call the investigation methods strange and unprofessional. They expressed much criticism as well about Commissioner Gerold Dompig’s behavior.

“It is incomprehensible that police, after an important tip about the location of Natalee Holloway’s body, to not go search immediately.”

This is according to a criminal law scholar of the University of Amsterdam, Menno Dolman.

The place in the dunes where they searched last week was left alone for long weeks, which could have made that important tips be lost.

It was a month after that an anonymous man called Dompig in tears with information about where the body of Natalee was buried, that authorities sprung into action.

“This is very strange”, according to a legal psychologist, Peter van Koppen. “Normally the area is closed off immediately, to dig and search for clues, but not in Aruba”.

Before police started to search, Dompig spoke openly with the press about new clues and another search which was on the way.

“Total madness”, according to a criminal law expert of the University of Leiden, Hans Nijboer. “This is a total error”.

According to Nijboer it is against all principles and illogical to bring forth details of the tips, before starting the search. Competent investigators investigate the case.

“The media is the last option for investigators”, according to Dolman. “You do not give out information that only the guilty could know.

If this happens, then it becomes very troublesome to know if the details in the declarations are authentic or if the person read this in the newspapers”.

According to the Dutch article, Dompig does not appear worried about these details. He gave details of the case easily to the press. However, the facts and the theories of which he spoke, contradict each other.

He said that he believes that Natalee perished due to an overdose of a combination of alcohol and drugs, that she consumed on the night of her disappearance.

However, in an interview with a Dutch newspaper, he said that he believes that Natalee lost her life as a victim of a criminal act (rape and murder).

According to Dolman, these two versions contradict each other. Dolman suspects that Dompig did this to keep the media at bay.

According to van Koppen, perhaps this is an investigation tactic on the part of Dompig, where he is now tapping the suspects’ conversation along with their friends and families, in order to catch something perhaps during a telephone conversation. Dolman doesn’t believe in a tactical action of such magnitude. According to Dolma, this is done for a stalled case.
Parliamentary committee Tourism is waiting for action plan
Amigoe
4/6/2006

ARUBA - The Parliamentary committee Tourism is waiting since late January for the action plan drawn up by the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) to reverse the dramatic downturn in the tourism. At that time, the ATA had already sent the plan to minister Edison Briesen of Tourism and Transportation for forwarding, but the committee had still not received the plan, says AVP-parliamentarian Andy Lee. The committee had even sent a reminder letter.

"Briesen's way of acting makes one feel dubious about his capacities to shape the tourism in Aruba proactively and dynamically", said Lee. He is of the opinion that the action plan is highly necessary. The manager of the airport said that the tourism had dropped with 1 percent in January and February and the tourism figures had dropped drastically since August. ATA's PR-plan should return Aruba's positive image in the United States. What the plan is going to cost will exceed ATA's budget and the 2006 budget has not been submitted yet. Lee is of the opinion that the minister should act more decisively. "It has become clear that Briesen is not really interested in the actual tourism figures, and they are still not up-to-date. Therefore we do not know yet to what extend the total tourists have dropped in the first months of 2006 and what influence it had on the economy of Aruba since the second half of 2005. Now that there is a plan to improve the image of Aruba in the US, this same minister doesn't take actions and leaves everything as is."
Public Prosecution will not use Deepak Kalpoe in reenactment but will use his car
Bon Dia Aruba
4/5/2006

ORANJESTAD – The attorney for Deepak and Satish Kalpoe was stunned by the fact that the prosecutor gave an order to seize his client’s car last week to use as a ‘prop’ in a case of reenactment of a possible crime. ‘Stunned that the prosecutor wants to use an artifact as in a movie, to recreate a situation as realistically as possible, that they have to have Deepak Kalpoe’s original car’, Kock declared on American television this week.

CAR RETURNED

The fact that they returned the car to his client does not take away that there’s a pending case to question the prosecutor and the judge commissioner where they have to be formally question about this action. Particularly, if the prosecutor had the right to do this and what the consequences of this will be. ‘It is a totally unfounded action’, Kock continued to say.

REENACTMENT

A point that is very remarkable is that the attorney confirmed that in the reenactment they are using actors to play the role of his client. However at no time are they using his client, which is a normal process. As such, he doesn’t understand if they are not using the clients for the reenactment, why are they not using a car that resembles his client’s car, and decided to use his exact car. It is something that is not logical. Something about which the attorney has no answer either.

EXACT CAR

According to the attorney, the fact that they are using the exact car, will not make a person react 10 months later, in a way that now he does remember something to solve this case. Another question is the fact of who controls the editorial content of the program which is pre-recorded. ‘I don’t see prosecutor Janssen directing the cameras’, Kock continued to say.

SEE PROGRAM

While the program will be available here in Aruba via BVN, attorney Kock does not believe that it will generate the reaction that the program has to generate. ‘I don’t believe that people will see the program 10 months after the act, and come forward to say with exactitude what happened in the case’, Kock continued to say.

ORIGINAL CAR

Kock also noted that he feels the program will take the step to look for the original car. However, his clients have nothing to hide. It’s not that he wants to protect them from this, but it is the manner in which they want to use information via the car, it is simply an abuse of power according to Kock. At the same time, Kock doesn’t have any indication that the investigation is moving forward or is progressing. They explored things which have already done in the past. ‘When you are going on such a show, you want to bring old things old things forward and bring life into them again’, Kock finally said.

4.05.2006



Host of the program Opsporing Vermist Anniko van Zanten explains:
In the case of Natalee Holloway there are many holes that need to be filled
This is what the program has to try to solve when it goes on the air
Bon Dia Aruba
4/5/2006

ORANJESTAD – The Dutch television group AVRO, which produces the Dutch program ‘Opsporing Vermist’ [sic – Verzocht?] hopes that via this program, there will be people who come forward and declare something which they remember after watching the program when it will air next week, Tuesday, April 11. Something that according to the host, Anniko van Zanten, is a big possibility given their reputation of 23 years on the air.

HISTORY

According to van Zanten, the program has its history, when it started 23 years ago. It can be compared to the American program ‘America’s Most Wanted’, every week this program airs different programs based on crimes committed, where it is not known who the author of the crime is. The intention of the program is to get the attention of certain people who could have information and can come forward with this information to solve the crime in question.

HOLLOWAY

The episode on the Holloway case, is to clearly seek help from the Dutch public (although the local Aruban market will also see it) to see if they could have any type of valuable information to share with the producers of the show. In this case, they reenacted Natalee Holloway’s vacation in Aruba.

TWO GOALS

According to van Zanten, the program has two goals. The have to help people identify with this group and give them the indication that they have to come forward with any information they may have. Also, it has to work as a trigger for people’s memories to remember things that the person could remember now, that they couldn’t remember a year ago. All this is based on real facts, compared to speculation and possibilities.

HOLES FILLED

The program serves to close holes in an investigation. ‘And in this case, there are many holes’, said van Zanten. As such, people will be able to say that there is a minimal possibility that they can find something about Holloway. ‘However, there are many Dutch visitors in Aruba and the history of the show demonstrates that people see things that end up being crucial to solving a case, without having any notion of this’, van Zanten said. Until the program is seen, then the memory comes back. This is what van Zanten will try to accomplish with this program.


AOL survey shows that 72% less Americans are likely to visit Aruba now
DIARIO Aruba
4/5/2006

ORANJESTAD(AAN): It was a hard knock that Aruba took yesterday from subscribers to AOL, ‘American Online’ which is the largest Internet provider in the U.S. They participated in a survey and it indicated that the majority of them do not want to come to Aruba anymore!

Before commenting on this, DIARIO commented on a recent reportage from CBS News in the U.S. which conducted an investigation, to see how much the disappearance of Natalee Holloway is affecting Aruba’s tourism.

In an article, CBS News says that Aruba is very beautiful and that it is not surprising that tourism makes up 85% of Aruba’s economy, where 800,000 American tourists visit Aruba every year.

However, one of these Americans, Natalee Holloway disappeared 10 months ago. While the young American is being searched for once again, it seems that the constant news of Natalee’s disappearance has hit Aruba hard in the pocketbook.

According to a tourist, Jill Williams, when she told people in the U.S. that she was going to Aruba for Spring Break, they looked at her very surprised.

The article continues to say that Rob Smith of the Aruba Hospitality and Security Foundation also said that the peaceful island that he so loves, perhaps is suffering due to this case.

He said that the case is perhaps affecting our global integrity. Smith continued to say that after 10 years of growth in tourism, suddenly this has stopped. “I believe that many people think that Aruba is not safe, however, Aruba is safe”.

When the reporter from CBS News, Solorzano, approached 4 young Americans on vacation in Aruba and asked them if they feel safe on the island, they all said that without a doubt they feel very safe in Aruba.

A few teenagers with whom Solorzano spoke said that the disappearance of Natalee made them more prudent, but this didn’t stop their families from coming to Aruba.

Tourist and father Ed Williams said to the CBS reporter: “100% we believe that it is safe and we feel that Arubans did everything possible to try to solve the mystery.”

Rob Smith explained that perhaps other factors contributed to tourism being lower than normal, such as the fact the cost of accommodations is higher, while many Americans were affected by and worried about the hurricane season.

AOL SURVEY

However, America Online now has a survey on their web site and asks: ‘How likely are you to visit Aruba since Natalee Holloway vanished?’

The answer that no native son wants to hear follows: ‘less likely than before’ is ahead with 72%, at the time when some 75,000 people gave their opinion on this online survey, which is not a scientific one. Millions of Americans who are members of AOL saw this survey which appeared in large format on their computer screens.

Although Arubans do not feel this is fair, now the moment has arrived to conclude that perhaps the mismanagement of island leaders, as well as some in the judicial field, who do not know how to correctly deal with the American media, can be guilty of this ‘lack of good judgment’.

For you to raise your voice and tell our main clients (Americans) for them to kiss our behinds, is very probably what has put us in the position to start to feel the economic pain that is barely now showing itself.

Pray some more. Hotel workers already know how the real situation is from last week! Many were sent home because ‘there is no work to be done’. Now, in April, occupation is this bad. How will it be this coming May?


He won’t be saying anything more on the Natalee Holloway case

Commissioner Dompig practically without power
Dolfi Richardson now heads Natalee Holloway case
DIARIO Aruba
4/5/2006

ORANJESTAD(AAN): What is happening was a question to which we wanted an answer.

In the afternoon hours of Tuesday, DIARIO was able to obtain confirmation of the news on which Monday, DIARIO reporters asked the High Commissioner about, but he refused [to answer] or didn’t want to say anything.

We continued to look for information and it results that Commissioner Gerold Dompig is not at the head of the investigation into the case of Natalee Holloway. Neither is the substitute High Commissioner, now that Mr. Ronny Bernadina is no longer there.

Although it has been heard that there is discontent with Commissioner Gerold Dompig’s handing [of the case], on the other hand it has been heard that there are changes underway in the whole system of districts and commissioners because it’s not good the way it is now.

The way it is, four islands have them [?], and this has not worked. Now, each commissioner will be in charge of one task which they will obtain from the High Commissioner and the Minister also has to be aware of this.

Aside that the case of the young Holloway has brought enough problems within the Public Prosecution, it has also brought problems within the core of the police department.

How sane it is for Aruba to put and removed commissioners on the Natalee Holloway case is not yet known, but the perception is that it is not very good.

This coming Monday, the changes that High Commissioner Bernadina introduced will officially be enacted, but already as of yesterday, they started working on the basis of these changes.

Soon each commissioner will have one task and the issue that each one manages a district will be a thing of the past.

The reorganization did not take a good turn in the police force and now High Commissioner Ronny Bernadina is adapting this in his way.
More and more high income tourists to Aruba
Amigoe
4/5/2006

The European market is a growth market for Aruba. Therefore, there is a lot of advertisement for the island in this market. Minister Edison Briesen cut an Aruban cake recently during the biggest tourist market ITB in Germany.

ARUBA – According to minister Edison Briesen (MEP) of Tourism and Transportation, Aruba more and more manages to attract richer tourists. The figures of the Central Bureau for Statistics show this. The minister anticipates that this can be stimulated even more with the completion of the special department of the Airport for private-airplanes.

The figures show that 19 percent of the tourists that visited Aruba in the second quarter make more that 100.000 dollars per year. In 2001 and 2002 was this 13 and 10 percent respectively. The number of visitors that make less than 50.000 dollars per year dropped from 40.7 percent in 2001 to 24 percent in 2005.

However, the biggest group of visitors is the ones that make between the 50 and 75 thousand dollars per year. Therefore, Aruba has to aim for the upscale-market, says Briesen. The special terminal and runway for private planes will be complete in July. People with private planes will then have their own immigration, customs, shoppes, and cafeteria. They will no longer have to be taken to the other side by bus, and stand in long immigration lines. They will be out in 15 minutes.” Briesen also hopes to attract more luxurious mega-yachts.


The tourist sector has to go along with the trends. The American tourist for example takes shorter vacation, like three nights for example. Briesen understands that hotels prefer to sell six-nights packages, but still, we have to also go along with this trend. He warns that the competition becomes bigger for Aruba. “For example in Dubai they are building five- to six-star hotels. They even create new islands over there. Their product is same as ours: son.” He doesn’t worry so much about the competition of cheaper destinations in the region like Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. “We are more upscale than most of the other countries. The safety plays a bigger part, especially after 9/11. But, of all the Caribbean islands, we are the one that is farther away from our biggest market, so that continues to be a big challenge for us.”
Public Prosecution distances itself from the article in Algemeen Dagblad
Bon Dia Aruba
4/4/2006

ORANJESTAD – The spokesperson for the Public Prosecution, drs. Mariaine Croes reacted to an article that Algemeen Dagblad published Saturday, April 1, 2006. The title of the article is: ‘Search for Natalee by satellite’. Drs. Croes made it be known to Bon Dia Aruba that in this case, a police worker made these statements to a reporter from Algemeen Dagblad. The Public Prosecution distances itself completely from the content of the statements made by the police officer. Also, the Public Prosecution distances itself emphatically of the fact that these statements were made, who they were made by.

Drs. Croes explains that in dealing with the press, the Public Prosecution is always aware of the following points:

- the protection of the privacy of the suspects and witnesses;

- the fact that you have to avoid dealing with a case through the media, and not speak regarding the supposed culpability of the suspects;

- always have to avoid damage to an ongoing criminal investigation.

Given that the Public Prosecution observes the points mentioned above, the giving of information in specific cases by the Public Prosecution is limited.
Although it is not the final report and there is still no decision taken as to who will be prosecuted
Prosecutor handed over to the Court report related to the investigation into Joran van der Sloot
Bon Dia Aruba
4/4/2006

ORANJESTAD – Yesterday, chief prosecutor Janssen went to the court building to deliver to the clerk a report related to the criminal investigation that the Holloway investigative team conducted on Joran van der Sloot.

NOT A FINAL REPORT

An investigation conducted by Bon Dia Aruba shows that the report that mr. Janssen delivered to the court clerk is not the final report of the criminal investigation. Since there are still investigations taking place, it is difficult for mr. Janssen to comply with the verdict of the CuraƧao judge in the case of damages for prejudice that mr. Paul van der Sloot started against the government.

This is how last moth, the judge, in his interim verdict, instructed chief prosecutor mr. Janssen to hand over the procesverbaal dealing with the criminal investigation into Joran van der Sloot, at the latest on the 3 of April. The reason the judge instructed mr. Janssen to hand over the procesverbaal was on the basis of mr. Janssen’s own statements during the case proceedings. The judge, in his verdict, showed that mr. Janssen said that in March 2005 [sic 2006?] the procesverbaal on the investigation on the Holloway case will be closed and also that the Public Prosecutor will take a decision whether they will prosecute people or not.

NO DECISION TO PROSECUTE

An investigation conducted by Bon Dia Aruba shoes that chief prosecutor mr. Janssen handed over the report related to the criminal investigation, but still has not taken a decision whether she will prosecute the suspects or not. This is due to the situation that still the investigation hasn’t been closed and still the final report is not closed.

Now that the report has been delivered, mr. Swaen, who is the attorney of the van der Sloot family in this case, will have to react to the report and has to hand over this reaction by April 17, at the latest. The judge will analyze these and on the 1st of May he will hand over the verdict.

Given the fact that mr. Janssen did not completely comply with the judge’s instructions, it is not known what will be the judge’s reaction. There are two possibilities. Prosecutor mr. Janssen will notify the judge about the situation and the judge will decide according to this report or the judge will say that the report is not sufficient and wants mr. Janssen to comply with what he instructed.

Time will tell what will happen. The fact is that chief prosecutor mr. Janssen handed over a report related to the criminal investigation into Joran van der Sloot.

4.04.2006







To use in their program Opsporing Verzocht dedicated to the Holloway case
Dutch film crew continued their taping over the weekend in Oranjestad
Yesterday Carlos & Charlies street closed to film in front of the establishment
Bon Dia Aruba
4/3/2006

ORANJESTAD – During the weekend, the dutch television team from Opsporing Vermist of VARA continued with their taping in Aruba for the program which will air on the coming April 11 on Dutch television. They continued with their taping in the Oranjestad area, both Saturday and Sunday. All this was as a plan to tape the reenactment of the case of Natalee Holloway. The filming will continue today and some more days in order for them to finish up this week and return to Holland.


POLICE

The presence of some official agents were ‘accompanying’ the film crew could be noted. It was interesting to observe how the American reporters, among others FOX and CBS, came in contact with the Dutch film crew and how one was filming the other doing their work. One thing was for certain, that was the attention that the filming drew on the street this past weekend. Yesterday, they closed the street in order to be able to do their taping in front of Carlos & Charlies. In the collection of photographs, one can see the filming moments.


Using radars, dogs and more sophisticated equipment

Dutch search teams continue their work in the dunes over the weekend
They still haven’t located anything concrete related to the Holloway case
Bon Dia Aruba
4/3/2006

ORANJESTAD – During the weekend, work for the search of Natalee Holloway continued in Aruba. From Wednesday, the work for the search intensified with the special group from Holland which came with a total of 11 persons and 2 special dogs to search, and continued over the weekend. Their focus this weekend was around the Lighthouse dunes. But they still haven’t located anything concrete of the Holloway person.

SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT

It was of note during the weekend how the search was planned, using sophisticated equipment, such as a subterranean radar, which registers specific activity underground. At the same time, helicopters were used to survey along with the radar as well. Another group was in charge of the dogs, but it could be noted that one dog was used at a time.

SYSTEMATIC WORK

The manner in how they let the dogs work was systematic. Certain terrain was marked with long blue ‘spaca’ [lines?], where the dog had to stay inside and leave all that was found. Tied with a pretty long chain and with assistance from its trainer, the dog was smelling around where he believed it was necessary.

PRESS

Another person who was in the action was those who have to cover certain locations that the dog indicated. But again, nothing was achieved. As long as this work was happening, a group of police on quad-racers was watching over and controlling the work of this Dutch team. For security reasons, the press was not allowed to come too close, more so for the protection of the work being done, and for the dogs’ concentration.

It was at a distance that certain members of the press were able to cover this search, as the photographs indicate. The search will continue for one more week, before the Dutch team returns to Holland another week.

4.03.2006

A request goes out to the lady who called policeman Soemers, for her to call back
Bon Dia Aruba
4/1/2006

ORANJESTAD—Commissioner Dompig sends out a notice to the lady who called Mr. Eric Soemers, for her to call back. According to Mr. Dompig, this lady called Mr. Eric Soemers who is in the Natalee Holloway investigative team, and later said that she will call him back.

Until today the lady hasn’t called back. Commissioner Dompig calls out for this lady to call back Mr. Soemers because he said that it is very important to the investigation. If she cannot find Mr. Soemers, she can call Mr. Dompig himlsef at xxx-xxxx.
Indicating that the reason for the seizure was for reenactment of case for Dutch TV
Judge rejects complaint from Deepak Kalpoe’s attorney related to the seizure of his car
Kalpoe will get his car back Monday at the latest
Bon Dia Aruba
4/1/2006

ORANJESTAD – The car of the suspect in the case of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, Deepak Kalpoe, will remain in custody until at least Monday. This is what the judge involved in the case decided yesterday morning. It was when the car was taken into custody by the Public Prosecutor, last Thursday, that Kalpoe’s defense attorney, David Kock, sent a complaint about the Public Prosecutor.


CHIEF PROSECUTOR

It was the chief prosecutor’s turn to defend herself against this complaint, and the judge heard both sides. This is where the prosecutor explained to the judge that the reason for the seizure was to have access to the car as part of the plan for the reenactment of the Holloway case, for Dutch film crews who are in Aruba for the reenactment.

She used the term ‘onderzoeksbelang’ [research importance] since it will be used in the pre-recordings of Opsporing Verzocht.


PUBLIC PROSECUTOR

In a conversation with the spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor, Mariaine Croes, she confirmed that the judge rejected the arguments of attorney Kock and declared the ‘beklag’ as unfounded.

As much as he was preparing himself for the case against the government on the matter of legal papers [work visa] for his client Deepak Kalpoe, now he has another problem to deal with.

AUTHORITIES

It was Thursday afternoon that authorities confiscated the Kalpoe car again, based on the investigation which is taking place now. As such, the lawyer wasn’t thinking of keeping quiet about this case either.

SEIZURE

It is Bon Dia Aruba’s understanding that initially it was believed that it had to do with the actual investigation that the Dutch are now conducting in Aruba, but it was for the Dutch film crew.


Taping the ‘reenactment’ of Natalee’s case
DIARIO
4/3/2006

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Last Sunday night, using the car that Police confiscated for the weekend from the Kalpoe brothers, they held a ‘reenactment’ to record for Dutch TV.

DIARIO’s photographer barely had the chance to take a picture, given that 3 different American TV crews were standing around and they did not want to bother ‘Recherche Yearwood’.

Has the police force declared war against the local press?

They want more witnesses to come forward this way.

For this reason, starting today, DIARIO is giving key witnesses and ‘alternative’ to give information. Read page 3.
Deepak does not get his car back
Amigoe
4/3/2006

ARUBA – Deepak Kalpoe’s car will not be returned to him until Monday. The examining-magistrate decided in a lawsuit instituted by Kalpoe’s lawyer David Kock that the confiscation is not illegal, because the shootings for Opsporing Verzocht are of relevance to the investigation on the disappeared Natalee Holloway. The car, a grey Honda Civic was confiscated by the Public Prosecutor last Thursday afternoon. Their motivation to do this is that the program must reproduce the situation as real as possible. The program Opsporing Verzocht with the Holloway-case will be transmitted on Tuesday, April 11th.