The Prosecutor’s Office in Kralendijk.
BONAIRE--Island Governor Edison Rijna has filed a complaint against company Balfrans and its director S.B. for allegedly embezzling almost US $400,000 from government-owned Oil Trading Bonaire (OTB) since they started managing its accounts in 2007. Chief Prosecutor Bote ter Stege said a team of the Dutch National Detectives will arrive on the island this weekend to handle the probe.
Rijna, accompanied by Commissioner Elvis Tjin Asjoe, handed the local prosecution a forensic bookkeeping investigation report on June 1 in which B. apparently admits giving himself “an advance” for years. He was heard in a shareholder’s meeting on July 5, when the suspect’s lawyer presented a stack of documents to supposedly prove his client’s innocence.
After studying the papers, the Prosecutor’s Office advised filing a criminal complaint.
- has been suspended as of Monday afternoon. OTB director René Lauffer, who asked for the inquiry after not receiving insight into OTB’s money flows, remains in his function.
