WILLEMSTAD - On Friday, five executives from different companies were convicted to a conditional imprisonment ranging from 2 to 4 months, with a probation period of 3 years, due to multiple years of failure to file profit tax returns. The court has decided that within a specified period, they must submit all their tax returns, including those for the periods for which they had already received a tax assessment.  

During the probation period, they must submit all returns and accompanying payments on time, and if they meet these conditions, they will not have to serve their sentence. During the trial, it became clear that several companies had significant tax debts, ranging from ANG 100,000 to over 1.5 million. The Public Prosecution demanded that these debts also be fully repaid during the probation period, following recent statements by the Minister of Finance in the Central Committee regarding tax privileges for certain individuals.  

However, the judge ruled that the convicted individuals must arrange a payment plan with the Receiver within a short period and adhere to it. He emphasized that any issues with the Receiver are the responsibility of the Minister to resolve.  

The convicted individuals have stated their intention to comply with the specified conditions but have expressed concern about the potential consequences of a criminal record, especially for international travel, such as to the United States. The last two cases involved technical defenses from the defendants' lawyers, which the Public Prosecution opposed. The court will make a ruling on this on March 20.