WILLEMSTAD – The MAN-PIN parliamentary faction has formally called the Minister of Justice to account over declining public trust in the Openbaar Ministerie. Member of Parliament Giselle Mc William has requested a formal question round, citing troubling confidence figures and controversial public statements made by the Public Prosecution Service.
According to Mc William, the 2024 annual report of the Openbaar Ministerie shows that public trust in the institution’s transparency was rated at just 4.7. She also referred to a 2023 survey indicating that 55 percent of respondents reported having no confidence in the Public Prosecution Service, while only 38 percent expressed trust. The MAN-PIN faction argues that these figures point to a structural problem that requires political and administrative attention.
One of the key triggers for the questions is a public statement issued by the Openbaar Ministerie regarding an alleged payment arrangement with the tax authorities extending over a period of 200 years. That statement was later contradicted by the Ontvanger, after which the Openbaar Ministerie acknowledged that incorrect information had been used. According to MAN-PIN, this incident has further undermined the credibility of the prosecution service.
In her questions, Mc William asks the Minister of Justice to clarify what steps are being taken to prevent the Openbaar Ministerie from issuing incorrect or unauthorized public statements in the future. She also seeks answers on how cooperation and trust between the prosecution service and other government institutions will be restored, and what concrete measures are being considered to rebuild public confidence.
In addition, the MAN-PIN faction is asking whether the Minister is willing to commission an independent investigation into the functioning of the Openbaar Ministerie in relation to this matter.
The questions must be answered in writing by the Minister of Justice within the statutory deadline.