ORANJESTAD – Former Aruba minister Otmar Oduber has been sentenced on appeal to two years in prison, double the one-year sentence imposed by the lower court in 2025. The Joint Court of Justice also barred Oduber from holding public office for five years.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office had sought a three-year prison sentence against the former minister, accusing him of several criminal offenses allegedly committed between 2017 and 2019 while he served in the first Wever-Croes Cabinet.
The allegations included bribery, fraud involving the allocation of government leasehold land, the appointment of so-called “ghost civil servants,” and abuse of his position as a government minister.
The Court of Appeal acquitted Oduber of several of the charges after finding that they had not been sufficiently proven.
However, the Court upheld the accusation concerning his involvement in the appointment of two so-called ghost civil servants. The two individuals were formally employed by the government and received salaries despite never reporting for work.
The appellate ruling represents a significant increase from the sentence handed down by the Court of First Instance in 2025. In addition to doubling his prison term to two years, the Court imposed a five-year ban preventing the former minister from holding a position in public administration.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office had again requested a three-year prison sentence during the appeal proceedings, but the Court ultimately opted for the two-year term.