WILLEMSTAD – The Council of Advice has raised concerns over Curaçao’s 2026 draft budget after discovering that revenues from the sale of Campo Alegre and Landhuis Groot Santa Martha—together totaling 8.9 million guilders—were not deposited into the Crime Prevention Fund, where they were supposed to go.

According to earlier agreements, the proceeds should have been earmarked for the fund, which finances projects such as the purchase of police vehicles. Given the public sensitivity surrounding these sales, the Council insists that the government provide a clear explanation.

In its review, the Council noted that the fund typically receives around one million guilders annually. Why the millions generated by the property sales have not been recorded in the budget remains unclear. The Council also criticized the absence of the legally required policy plan that outlines which projects will be financed through the fund.

Another issue flagged was the lack of information about approximately 50 million U.S. dollars seized by the United States in connection with illegal gambling proceeds funneled abroad. These funds, the Council stressed, should also flow into the Crime Prevention Fund.

The advisory body has recommended that the government provide full transparency in the explanatory memorandum of the budget and, where necessary, update the documents to reflect the actual financial position.