WILLEMSTAD - It now seems that the well-known open-air brothel Campo Alegre in Curaçao is finally going up for auction. Although the auction had been scheduled earlier, it was postponed twice because the Public Prosecution Service could not find bona fide buyers. The auction is now scheduled for next Tuesday, September 26th.
Originally, Campo Alegre was supposed to be auctioned on September 6th of last year, but this auction was postponed by the Public Prosecution Service, which did not provide any reasons for the delay. The brothel had an asking price of 8.9 million guilders, and potential buyers had to provide a bank guarantee of 5 million guilders.
One of the complicating factors is a legal case dating back to 2013. At that time, the Court of Appeals ruled that the company Wilshire Advisors Ltd, which owned Campo Alegre, owed the government of Curaçao 14 million guilders in a case of expropriation. The Court found that Wilshire, among other things, had purchased Campo Alegre with drug money and through money laundering.
Since Wilshire did not meet its payment obligations to the Curaçao government, there have been various attempts by the government and the judiciary to auction Campo Alegre since 2014. The proceeds from the auction would cover Wilshire's debt to the government.
However, a planned auction last year encountered another problem: Campo Alegre had been seized by Mr. B. Verhage, a former shareholder of Wilshire. This meant that the proceeds from the auction would not go to the government.
From an investigation conducted by the Curaçao government and the Public Prosecution Service, it was determined that the seizure imposed by Verhage was illegal. Consequently, a decision was made to initiate legal proceedings against Verhage to lift the seizure. However, this did not proceed as Verhage himself had already requested the seizure to be lifted. Now that the seizure has been lifted, the auction can proceed.
The auction, supervised by the Public Prosecution Service, will take place at the Renaissance Wind Creek Hotel on September 26, 2023, at 10:00 AM. The complex is owned by the British Virgin Islands-based company Wilshire Advisors Ltd.
Resort
Campo Alegre is described as a resort with both small and large hotel rooms, totaling 156 rooms. In addition, there are various warehouses, offices, a fitness center, a restaurant, two outdoor bars, and a swimming pool. Both within and outside the Campo Alegre premises, there are 645 parking spaces.
Minister of Justice, Shalten Hato, previously stated that prostitution is not prohibited in Curaçao, except for street prostitution and facilitating prostitution in certain hotels. Therefore, the buyer of the Campo Alegre building could open a prostitution center there.
However, those looking to restart the prostitution business within Campo Alegre must consider the 'import' of prostitutes and the necessary permits.
