WILLEMSTAD - The Council Chamber of the Joint Court of Justice is set to revisit a case on October 29 involving Fundashon Dos Bui pa Kòrsou, a foundation established by journalist Yves Cooper. The foundation is seeking a court order to compel the Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) to criminally prosecute Finance Minister Javier Silvania for allegedly "forgiving" tax debts from 2017 and earlier.
An initial private hearing took place on September 3, during which the case was postponed for four weeks. The court has now set a new date, indicating that more time is needed to process the case.
Cooper has refrained from making any further comments on the matter, in accordance with an agreement with the court. The foundation turned to the court after receiving no response from the OM to a complaint filed in April 2024, initiating a legal process known as the Article 15 procedure.
The issue of forgiving approximately 3 billion in tax debts has been a subject of ongoing debate. Silvania has been repeatedly asked to provide documentation supporting his decision to cancel the debts.
In January 2023, the minister decided to cancel the tax debts, a move that the opposition claims was illegal and favored a small group of tax evaders. They argue that this decision violates the law, citing rulings by the Court of Appeals on August 10, 2023, and advice from the Social Economic Council on June 19, 2023.