At a cocktail party in 2016, a prominent former member of the Advisory Council (RvA) stormed up to me. He had always made jokes about my team, the New York Yankees, but I soon realized he wasn’t interested in baseball. In an outburst of anger, he asked why I, as a member of parliament, had sent a letter to the Prime Minister asking for an explanation regarding two RvA members mentioned in the Panama Papers—an international scandal involving individuals using offshore companies for money laundering. He said I should never have asked that question and claimed it would "discourage young people from working for the RvA." 

Although my letter received media attention, there was no response from the RvA or the Governor (Chair of the RvA). By the end of 2016, I was no longer a member of the States. 

I draw a connection between the aforementioned incident and the serious accusations made against the Chair of the Court of Audit (ARC) in a publication by Follow the Money. The report claims the ARC Chair was involved in an online gambling syndicate. To date, the ARC's defense has been that they followed the rules, regulations, and the constitution, which, they argue, should clear them of all allegations. Fasilito, case closed. 

It seems the ARC doesn't realize that integrity isn’t just about following existing procedures—it also involves norms, values, and decency. After all, the quality of our democracy depends more on the integrity of the leaders within our democratic framework than the structure itself. 

My advice: The ARC Chair must immediately file a lawsuit and demand a correction, or they must step down. Integrity is not something that should only be demanded from politicians. 

Alex David Rosaria (53) is a freelance consultant active in Asia & Pacific. He is a former Member of Parliament, Minister of Economic Affairs, State Secretary of Finance and UN Implementation Officer in Africa and Central America. He’s from Curaçao and has a MBA from the University of Iowa. (USA).