Leoncita Arends reports to KIA to serve Avestrus sentence

ORANJESTAD – Leoncita Arends reported to KIA on Monday morning to begin serving the final prison sentence imposed in the Avestrus corruption case. Her attorney, Doris Canwood, confirmed the development to Noticiacla.

Arends was the last of the three principal defendants in this part of the Avestrus case who still had to report after the Dutch Supreme Court rejected her appeal in cassation on April 14, 2026, making the July 2024 appellate judgment final.

The Court convicted Arends of co-perpetrating fraud on multiple occasions and active bribery of a public official. In the bribery charge, the Court found that money was given with the intention of influencing then-minister Benny Sevinger to facilitate option and long-lease rights involving parcels in Wayaca.

Arends was sentenced to 24 months in prison, 12 months of which are suspended, with a three-year probation period. Time already spent in pretrial detention is to be deducted from the custodial portion of the sentence.

The fraud conviction concerned a construction through which the Court found that the Country of Aruba was misled in the granting of option and long-lease rights, resulting in financial benefit connected to companies associated with Arends.

With the Supreme Court rejecting the cassation appeal, the conviction became final, and Arends has now reported to KIA for execution of the sentence.