WILLEMSTAD – Former Governor of the Netherlands Antilles Jaime Saleh has officially relinquished his honorary title as Minister of State of Curaçao. This news has been confirmed by him and Curaçao's Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas.
Saleh's resignation comes amid ongoing public outrage over his role in the financial debacle of Ennia Caribe Leven. The title of Minister of State is an exceptional one, usually granted for life.
Saleh was a member of the Board of Directors at Ennia and is considered a 'confidant' of Ennia's Iranian-American owner, Hushang Ansary, in court documents. Ansary has been convicted twice in a civil lawsuit but has yet to pay any compensation.
According to those verdicts, 'excessive' fees were paid to the directors. Documents suggest that Saleh received a total of 2.9 million guilders, including bonuses, between 2008 and 2018. In 2018, the Central Bank placed Ennia under supervision when it became clear that there were serious solvency problems under Ansary's leadership. The Board of Directors did not raise the alarm.
The government had given Saleh an ultimatum in September, asking him to resign voluntarily, or the government would take action. The escalation of the Ennia issue has now jeopardized the pensions of 30,000 policyholders.
Prime Minister Pisas described the situation as 'a closed chapter' and expressed regret that a letter he sent to Saleh last month had been made public. He intends to discuss this matter in a personal conversation with the former governor.