WILLEMSTAD – Jordan G. Pietersz, an employee of the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao in the Netherlands (KGMC), has publicly called for an independent investigation into alleged misconduct within and around the Curaçao representation in the Netherlands. His appeal comes as the government is pursuing legal proceedings to terminate his employment.
In a press statement, Pietersz says he decided to take the matter public after months of reporting concerns to various institutions without, according to him, receiving a satisfactory substantive response.
Pietersz says his reports concern possible integrity violations, unauthorized access to ICT systems, email accounts and camera systems, as well as the treatment of employees who report suspected wrongdoing.
He stresses that he is not asking the public or the media to accept his allegations as established fact and says he is not accusing individuals in advance of committing criminal offenses. Instead, he is calling for the allegations and supporting documentation to be independently investigated.
One of the more serious claims concerns former Minister Plenipotentiary Carlson Manuel and Manuel's brother. Pietersz claims to have information indicating that Manuel's brother possesses audio recordings that could contain information about possible corruption, financial flows, individuals involved and decision-making within the Cabinet.
Pietersz is calling for authorities to determine whether such recordings exist, where they are and whether they have ever been secured or investigated.
No evidence establishing the contents or authenticity of the alleged recordings was included in the press statement. The allegations therefore remain unverified.
Pietersz also questions how the Curaçao Public Prosecutor’s Office handled reports he says he previously submitted. According to him, he was informed approximately a year ago that he would be contacted for a follow-up conversation, but that conversation never took place.
He is now asking whether his reports were formally assessed, whether a decision was made not to investigate them and, if so, on what grounds.
The matter was also brought to the attention of the Governor of Curaçao, according to Pietersz. He says correspondence followed but that he has still seen no indication that an independent and comprehensive investigation into the core of his allegations has taken place.
Pietersz says he was also interviewed by the General Audit Chamber of Curaçao and provided information to that institution. According to him, several months passed before he received the report of that interview for review.
The dispute has meanwhile developed into an employment case.
Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas has previously stated publicly that Pietersz was given sufficient opportunities to restore the employment relationship. Pietersz disputes that account and maintains that he repeatedly sought substantive discussions and a resolution.
He accuses the government of focusing on terminating his employment rather than investigating his reports. He also claims that the Secretary-General's involvement in the matter was aimed at preparing an employment termination procedure rather than resolving the underlying issues.
Those claims represent Pietersz's account of the dispute and have not been independently established.
Pietersz says he previously sought restoration of his salary position, legal status and working relationship with the government without further legal escalation. He now considers himself to have gone from being a person reporting alleged wrongdoing to a defendant fighting to retain his employment.
He says he will challenge the termination proceedings in court while continuing to seek an investigation into the events that preceded the employment dispute.
Pietersz is also inviting investigative journalists to examine his case. He says he is prepared, where legally possible and with appropriate protection for third-party privacy, to make documents, emails and other material available confidentially for verification.
The press statement contains serious allegations against individuals and government institutions, but does not establish that corruption or other criminal conduct occurred. It also does not contain responses from the KGMC, Prime Minister Pisas, former Minister Plenipotentiary Manuel, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Governor’s office or the General Audit Chamber to Pietersz's latest claims.
Pietersz says his primary demand is that the facts be independently investigated rather than that conclusions be drawn solely from his allegations.