Tromp: “Sentence against Otmar Oduber confirms my complaint was not false”

ORANJESTAD — Former minister Marisol Tromp has reacted to the sentence handed down yesterday against former minister Otmar Oduber in the Flamingo case. According to Tromp, the decision by the Joint Court of Justice confirms that the complaint she filed against Oduber was not false, as the former minister had publicly maintained for years. Tromp published her reaction under the question: “Who ended up ‘in the firing line’ today?” on her personal Facebook page on Thursday evening.

FLAMINGO CASE

The Flamingo case concerns a criminal investigation into Oduber’s conduct during his time as minister in the Wever-Croes Cabinet between 2017 and 2019. The case includes irregularities related to the allocation of land, the appointment of civil servant Spirito — who, according to the prosecution, was being paid without working for the government — and preferential treatment for certain individuals.

In the first instance, the court sentenced Oduber to one year in prison. Oduber appealed the sentence, maintaining that he was innocent and that the accusations against him were based on slander.

However, on appeal, three judges of the Court found that a one-year sentence was insufficient. They increased the sentence to two years in prison and imposed a five-year ban preventing Oduber from appearing on a political party’s candidate list or holding public office.

TROMP’S REACTION

In her reaction, Tromp accuses Oduber of having manipulated public opinion and damaged her reputation for six years.

“Former minister Otmar Oduber continued to manipulate the public and drag my name through the mud in every interview he gave, for six long years, as if I had filed a false complaint against him,” Tromp stated.

DISCLOSURE IN PARLIAMENT

The former minister recalled that in 2020 she revealed in Parliament what she described as irregularities committed by Oduber. Tromp maintains that after her presentation in Parliament, she was removed as minister.

For Tromp, the recent judgment restores her credibility and contradicts the accusation that had repeatedly been made against her.

“This sentence confirms that I did not file a ‘false report’ against former minister Otmar Oduber, as he always claimed in the media for years.”

Tromp concluded that, counting the judge in the first instance and the three appeal judges, a total of four judges determined that Oduber deserved a prison sentence.

The appeal sentence is considerably heavier than the first-instance judgment: two years in prison and a five-year ban on standing as a political candidate or working for the government. Oduber can still appeal in cassation, where the Supreme Court will assess whether the law and procedures were applied correctly.