Dutch MPs take their Curaçao online gambling campaign public

Dutch MPs Ronald Van Raak and Andre Bosman have taken their campaign against inefficiency and corruption in online gambling regulation on Curacao (see previous reports) public in the Netherlands with interviews on national television and radio this week.

Our readers will recall that Van Raak in particular has been tenacious in pressing the Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations, Ronald Plasterk, for comment and action on his allegations that the Curacao online gambling industry is corrupt and engaged in money laundering activity, with only “five to seven persons” allowed by the Curaçao government to issue “an endless number of sub-licenses” for the online gambling sector, and sub-standard regulation.

The duo used public radio news programme De Nieuws BV on Radio 1 and the TV news programme EenVandaag to air their concerns on governance on internet gambling affairs on Curacao and St Maarten, claiming that the industry is open to organised crime, corruption due to the poor quality of governance.

According to Van Raak and Bosman, the gambling industry on the islands is engaged in illegal, criminal and money laundering activities through Curaçao-licensed websites operating online gambling services abroad without sufficient supervision from the island governments.

Bosman claimed that the islands are wealthy enough to secure decent development, but opined that many of the funds are not invested for the general good of the people and “ended up in the wrong pockets.”

He added that transparency and accountability in government and at the government-owned enterprises are very important, and urged the Parliaments of Curaçao and St. Maarten to ask questions and play a bigger role than has hitherto been the case.

And he advised that he would raise the issue further at next week’s Inter-Parliamentary Consultation for the Kingdom in The Hague.

Van Raak made allegations of vote-buying and corrupt politicians, saying:

“The number of politicians that has been bought on the islands is too large,” said Van Raak, giving an example of a United Party politician who received US $3 million for his election campaign.

The two politicians justify the interest of the motherland in island affairs by claiming that the illegal activities in the Caribbean islands are damaging the Dutch Kingdom, which is associated with them through guarantees and The Hague’s ultimate responsibility for proper governance.

They have visited the islands and claim that local citizens are afraid to speak up, but are concerned at government corruption and welcomed their interest.

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