WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao's Minister of Finance, Charles Cooper, has not yet filed the criminal complaint against the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) that he announced in July, following allegations of irregularities involving millions of guilders in payments to a Malta-based consultancy firm.
The minister has confirmed that his legal advisers recommended postponing the complaint until an ongoing investigation into the CGA and Random Consulting Ltd. has been completed.
According to the Antilliaans Dagblad, Cooper provided the explanation after the newspaper questioned him about the status of the complaint, which was announced nearly three months ago.
In late July 2026, Cooper announced an extensive investigation into financial arrangements between the gambling regulator and Random Consulting Ltd., a company established by Mario Galea, a former chief executive of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).
The company played a significant role in Curaçao's gambling sector reforms, including providing technical and advisory services during the introduction of the island's new gaming legislation.
Random Consulting also assisted the Ministry of Finance under former minister Javier Silvania and was involved in licensing procedures and the development of the digital platform used by the CGA.
Cooper previously alleged that approximately XCG 8.3 million was being paid annually to the company without a public procurement procedure.
He also raised concerns about transparency surrounding the contractual arrangements and payments.
Those allegations prompted his announcement of an investigation and his intention to file a criminal complaint.
However, no criminal complaint has been submitted so far, and the minister has now indicated that he is following legal advice to await the investigation's findings before taking further action.
The allegations concerning the payments and procurement arrangements have not been established as criminal wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, the relationship between the CGA and Random Consulting has undergone significant changes.
The gambling authority has terminated its service agreement with the Maltese company following controversy surrounding its licensing platform.
The platform was reportedly compromised in a cyberattack in 2025, with details of the breach becoming public in September 2026.
The incident exposed sensitive information relating to gambling operators, including details about ownership structures and licensing applications.
The leaked information also raised questions about the effectiveness of the procedures used to verify applicants and assess their eligibility for gaming licenses.
The CGA subsequently announced that the affected licensing portal had been taken offline and would not be used again.
The developments have intensified scrutiny of Curaçao's gambling regulatory system, which has undergone major reforms intended to strengthen oversight, transparency, and compliance within the international online gaming industry.
The controversy surrounding Random Consulting has also raised questions about how external contractors were selected, how their services were supervised, and whether the payments made to them complied with applicable procurement and financial procedures.
For now, the investigation announced by Cooper remains the central process through which those questions are expected to be examined.
It is not known when the investigation will be completed or whether its findings will ultimately result in a criminal complaint.
The minister's decision to wait means that the criminal complaint announced in July remains pending, while questions surrounding the CGA's financial arrangements and its former technology provider have yet to be resolved.