THE HAGUE - The Secretary of State for Kingdom Relations, Zsolt Szabó, continues to advocate for independent corruption investigations in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, specifically Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten.
According to Szabó, Transparency International (TI) measures corruption in the Netherlands, but it remains unclear why similar assessments are not conducted for the Caribbean islands within the Kingdom.
Szabó is planning a meeting with the headquarters of Transparency International in Berlin to discuss the possibility of conducting a specific corruption investigation for the three Caribbean islands. He noted that, at present, TI's focus is limited to investigations within the Netherlands, but he advocates for a broader approach that includes the Kingdom’s Caribbean territories.
This issue has gained attention following recent events, such as the arrest of KEM politician Michelangelo ‘Low’ Martines, who is suspected of corruption. Szabó’s call for more inclusive and thorough investigations comes at a time when there is growing concern about the integrity of public officials in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.