Wever-Croes: “A minister cannot refuse to be held accountable for business trips”
In a recent statement, the leader of the MEP faction, Ms. Eelyn Wever-Croes, raised her faction’s concerns regarding the lack of transparency from Minister Gerlien Croes in connection with a trip the minister took on a private jet.
Background of the case This questioning stems from a trip taken by Minister Gerlien Croes on a private jet eight months ago. The minister claimed at the time that she paid for the trip herself, and for that reason, she had no obligation to account for it to Parliament.
Ms. Wever-Croes emphasized that this is unacceptable in a governance context. “When it comes to a business trip, transparency is mandatory,” she stated. According to the Integrity Law, a minister may not accept such expensive gifts or favors. The MEP faction requested detailed information, including who paid, how much was paid, what day it was, and the passenger list, but the minister refused to provide this information.
Procedure via LAR Regarding the legal development of the case, the faction filed a petition before the court (LAR) on May 26th. In the hearing, they presented their arguments, and the court granted an eight-week period to provide advice, which must then go to the Government.
On July 10, the court informed that the advice was ready and had been sent to the minister. However, the minister did not give the faction a copy of the advice, so they had to wait for the minister herself. Furthermore, the minister has six weeks to make a decision based on the advice.
The point of discussion: Integrity Wever-Croes recalled that the case concerns a business trip that the minister took to Curaçao in November of last year. The central point of the discussion remains: who paid for the private jet? The minister maintains that she paid for it herself, but as of now, no evidence has been presented.
“The minister refuses to be held accountable, saying that she paid for the trip herself, and for that reason, she does not need to give an account. But this is not correct,” noted Ms. Wever-Croes. She pointed out that, in her role as a minister, if she goes on a business trip, she must account for her actions.
The faction considers this extremely necessary for the control work of Parliament. “There are integrity laws that prohibit a minister from receiving gifts of significant value, such as a flight on a private jet, and we must be able to check whether the minister acted in accordance with the integrity laws,” the faction leader concluded.