WILLEMSTAD – An internal investigation by the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) has concluded that the financial problems surrounding the tourist police foundation Politur were not solely the result of the actions of its former chairman. Instead, the report points to years of weak governance, inadequate financial controls and insufficient oversight that allowed one individual to dominate the organization's finances.
Politur is responsible for helping ensure the safety and security of visitors to Curaçao. The foundation works closely with CTB, which receives government funding from the Ministry of Economic Development to support tourism-related initiatives. Under the cooperation agreement between the two organizations, procedures were in place governing the use and management of public funds allocated to Politur.
According to the internal investigation, however, those procedures were largely ineffective.
The report states that the former chairman had exclusive control over all payment instruments, including the organization's debit and credit cards. There were no formal policies governing payments, purchasing procedures or financial management. In addition, the investigation found that no effective internal control system existed to verify transactions or review financial decisions.
The report also describes significant weaknesses in Politur's administration. Financial records were effectively managed by a single individual, while one administrative employee worked without a clearly defined job description. Supporting documentation for numerous transactions was missing, and records were not archived in a structured manner.
The accounting firm responsible for preparing Politur's annual financial statements and quarterly reports was also criticized. According to the report, its work lacked sufficient diligence and did not provide an adequate level of financial verification.
The investigation further found serious governance shortcomings.
Minutes from board meetings between December 2013 and February 2025 could not be located, making it difficult to determine whether expenditures had ever been discussed or formally approved. Only from February 2025 onward were board meetings reportedly documented in a systematic manner.
As a result, investigators concluded that years of financial decisions cannot be properly reconstructed because board resolutions were inadequately recorded.
The internal investigation focuses on suspected financial irregularities occurring between 2020 and April 2025. Among the issues identified are unauthorized transactions, cash withdrawals, alleged personal use of company payment cards, private travel expenses and reimbursements made without formal approval.
The report notes that the former chairman could potentially face personal civil liability, although it emphasizes that these findings are based on an internal investigation and do not constitute a judicial determination of wrongdoing.