During a cocktail party in 2016, a prominent former member of the Council of Advice (RvA) stormed toward me. He usually joked about my favorite team, the New York Yankees, but I quickly realized he had no interest in baseball that evening. Instead, in a fit of anger, he demanded to know why I—as a Member of Parliament—had sent a letter to the Prime Minister questioning two members of the RvA who were mentioned in the Panama Papers, a global scandal involving offshore companies used for money laundering. According to him, I should never have asked that question, and doing so would discourage young professionals from joining the RvA.
Although my letter received media attention, there was never a response from the RvA or the Governor, who serves as the Chair of the RvA. By the end of 2016, I was no longer a Member of Parliament.
I see a connection between that incident and the serious allegations recently published by Follow the Money against the Chairman of the Supreme Audit Institution (ARC), who is allegedly involved in an online gambling syndicate. So far, the ARC’s defense has been that it followed all regulations, decrees, and the Constitution, which should, in theory, clear it of any wrongdoing. Case closed, problem solved.
Apparently, the ARC fails to understand that integrity is not just about following formal procedures but also about upholding values, ethical standards, and decency. After all, the quality of our democracy depends more on the integrity of its leaders than on the structure itself.
A Call to Action
My advice is clear: The ARC Chairman must immediately file a lawsuit demanding a retraction, or step down. Integrity is not a standard that should be imposed only on politicians—it must apply to all public officials.
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).
