ARUBA GIVES CRIMINALS SPECIAL TREATMENT

*Here is another edition of that great research done by "Natalee's Freebirds"...awesome job, guys. --Michelle

JORAN AND PAULUS VAN DER SLOOT WERE GIVEN PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT THROUGHOUT THE NATALEE HOLLOWAY INVESTIGATION

Does the Dutch aristocracy in Aruba protect their own from criminal prosecution as a matter of routine? Or is the Natalee Holloway case an exception? It is apparent Joran Van Der Sloot and his father received preferential treatment from the very beginning of the investigation and are still being afforded special status to this day.

It is a well-known fact that the Lead Investigator assigned to the case, Jan Van der Straten, is a close friend of Joran’s father, Paulus Van Der Sloot. Minister of Justice Rudy Croes reported many suspicious telephone calls between Jan Van der Straten and Paulus Van Der Sloot in the very early stages of the investigation.

Jan Van der Straten knew by the first day of Natalee’s reported disappearance that the three main suspects last seen with the teen, Joran Van Der Sloot and Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, had lied to police about dropping Natalee off at the Holiday Inn. A review of the hotel security tapes by Natalee’s mother revealed that fact. Yet Prosecutor Karin Janssen failed to arrest the three suspects and search their homes, moves she was afforded under Dutch law, as the world witnessed with the arrest of the two innocent, framed security guards. No such arrests were made for 10 more days, and then only the Kalpoe residence was searched – while the van der Sloot apartment wasn’t ordered to be searched for another six days.

Dutch law also states that lying as a witness is a punishable crime, and yet no such charges have ever been brought against these criminals.

Let us not forget that Paulus Van Der Sloot was a judge-in-training at the time his son was the last person seen with Natalee Holloway. It has recently come to light that a Dutch Judge, Jacob Robert Wit, and a high-ranking justice official, Ben (Voc)King were at the Van Der Sloot home the day Aruban authorities arrived to search the Van Der Sloot property. Although the original search warrant was granted for a full search of all the buildings and grounds, Judge Wit changed the order on the spot to limit the search to only Joran’s small apartment.

Those are just some examples of Joran Van der Sloot being given preferential treatment by the high-ranking officials of Aruba’s Justice Department and Police department. The interrogation of the suspects was, at best, a softball approach with no follow-up for answers to what is a very puzzling series of lies and contradictions. In some of the interrogations the interviewers were forced to have cameras present which may have been a tactic to limit their effectiveness. Such videotaping of interrogations is not common practice in Aruba, but Joran van der Sloot was afforded this privilege. Who ordered this done?

Listed below are many instances of preferential treatment given to prime suspect Joran Van Der Sloot during the investigation of the Natalee Holloway case:


1- JORAN VAN DER SLOOT LIES TO POLICE BUT IS NOT ARRESTED

Joran Van der Sloot was not arrested for 10 days despite the fact police and justice department officials knew he and the Kalpoe brothers lied about dropping her off at the Holiday Inn.

Prosecutor Karin Janssen and Lead Investigator Jan Van Der Straten knew within 24 hours that the three suspects had lied to them about dropping Natalee off at the Holiday Inn but chose not to treat them as suspects. Jan Van der Straten, according to Paulus Van Der Sloot, is a "close friend", a blatant conflict of interest by any stretch of the imagination.


2- POLICE ARREST TWO INNOCENT BLACK GUARDS DESPITE KNOWING JORAN VAN DER SLOOT AND THE KALPOES LIED

Instead of arresting Joran and the Kalpoe brothers, the Prosecutor and Aruban police arrested two black security guards based on the lie the three suspects had told. The arrest of the two guards was executed with full knowledge the suspects had lied.

By arresting the two black guards they allowed Joran Van der Sloot and the Kalpoe`s five more days to destroy evidence and collaborate on their stories.


3- DUTCH JUDGE BOB WITT HAMPERS THE INVESTIGATION BY NOT ALLOWING A FULL SEARCH OF THE VAN DER SLOOT PROPERTY

Dutch Judge Jacob "Bob" Wit was present at the Van Der Sloot home on June 16th for the specific purpose of denying a search of the Van Der Sloot main residence and grounds when in fact the original warrant called for a full search. A full search was denied by a Dutch Judge again when Paulus Van Der Sloot was arrested on June 23rd.

Paulus Van Der Sloot was a judge in training in the Dutch judicial system and no doubt had many friends who were judges in the system. Any judge who wanted to appear un-biased would have allowed the full property to be searched but Judge Bob Witt limited searching to only Joran's small apartment. It should also be noted that the search of the two black security guards' homes included the entire premises.

4- PAULUS VAN DER SLOOT WAS ALLOWED TO CHANGE HIS SON'S STATEMENT TO POLICE

Paulus Van Der Sloot was allowed to be present when the Aruban police took Joran's first witness statement and was allowed to edit Joran's statement before it was entered into the public record. That statement is still missing.

Furthermore it was his close friend and Lead Investigator Jan van der Straten who was present for the statement and allowed Paulus Van Der Sloot to edit his son's statement.


5- PAULUS VAN DER SLOOT HAD ACCESS TO INVESTIGATORS' CASE FILES

Paulus Van Der Sloot was allowed to read the police records of the investigation by using his access to the Justice department files, allowing him to know exactly what the police and Prosecutor were doing in the case. The Prosecutor should have immediately blocked such access but chose not to.


6- DETECTIVE DENNIS JACOBS, A CLOSE ASSOCIATE OF JAN VAN DER STARTEN, WAS ALLOWED TO CONDUCT JORAN VAN DER SLOOT'S INTERVIEWS

Many of Joran Van Der Sloot’s statements were taken by officer Dennis Jacobs, a detective who showed no interest in solving the case as witnessed by his apathy toward Dave Holloway during their first meeting. Jacob's first comments to Dave Holloway on June 1st were, "Why would you want to do a search" and "Just go down to Carlos & Charlie's and have a beer, she'll show up."

It should be noted that Dennis Jacobs was a narcotics detective, not a homicide detective, and his choice to conduct interrogation is highly suspect. Jacob's apathy toward solving the case shows clearly in the "softball" manner in which his interviews with Joran were conducted and the lack of follow-up questions.


7- DUTCH JUDGES RELEASE JORAN VAN DER SLOOT AND ALLOWS HIM TO FLEE THE ISLAND WITHOUT GIVING FURTHER TESTIMONY

Judge Smid had originally ruled that Joran should be held another 30 days in detention but faxed in a reversal of his decision immediately after leaving the island and returning to the island of Curacao. Three weeks later a panel of Dutch judges ruled that Joran and the Kalpoe brothers would never have to give further testimony on the case unless it was on a "voluntary" basis despite the fact that the three suspects were telling conflicting stories.

Natalee and her family deserve justice, and we will not let up until they have it.

Natalee's Freebirds

LOST IN PARADISE? IGNORE IT...IT'S BAD FOR TOURISM

TRENTON -- A Trenton business executive is missing on the rugged Caribbean island of Saba (the smallest island in the Netherland Antilles) where he was last seen on Dec. 27, his former wife said yesterday. Joel D. Gove, of the Glen Afton section of the city, went hiking on the tiny island of Saba after buying a bottle of water at a store along the All Too Far Trail. The trail led to a sulfur mine, where the 47-year-old disappeared.


"Another hiker ...who just left the sulfur mine...was the last one to see him at about 11:45 in the morning," said Amy Gonzales, his former wife and mother of their daughter, Georgia, 5. "The hiker said he looked healthy, happy, in great shape and he wasn’t sweating. He didn’t look like he was in any distress."


Gonzalez, of Ewing, is a geologist and professional wetland scientist with AK Environmental LLC, located in West Trenton. The news has co-workers, Gonzalez and other family members shocked and dismayed. Gonzales dropped Gove off at the Trenton Train Station on Dec. 25 for a flight the next day out of Newark International Airport to the island.


A nature lover, he went there over the Christmas holiday, as he did on many occasions if he is not going to be with his family, to hike and explore the islands. Known as a world traveler, Gove has been all over the planet photographing cliffs, landscapes, hotels, and other things to give people an idea of where he went, said co-worker Lynn Ashton.


Saba, an island of high, rocky cliffs and trails, is a total of five square miles of mostly unspoiled land and has 1,400 residents, according to the 2004 census. It is known as a place where tourists go to scuba dive or hike and has a rain forest, tidepools, historic ruins and rich natural features with fantastic views.


Gove, owner of Habitat Management and Design Inc. on West State Street and an environmental consultant, checked into the Hotel Elmomo when he arrived, which is located on the Windward side of the island. The missing man told hotel workers that if he felt good enough after he finished walking the All Too Far Trail, that he would hike the Spring Bay Trail, but co-workers said there was no evidence that he ever made it that far. "He does an extensive search whenever he plans a trip and leaves a detailed itinerary for us with emergency numbers," Ashton said. "He never said anything to us about going to a mine."


Officials at the hotel didn’t know he was missing until Dec. 30, two days later, when he was scheduled to return, Gonzales said. They found Gove’s passport and personal items in his room, indicating that he didn’t leave the island. Co-workers said he didn’t have a reason to leave the island. Dutch officials launched a massive search using boats, the Coast Guard, tracking dogs, trackers, helicopters and search parties to locate the missing tourist, but to no avail. Finally Gonzales, Gove’s brother Brad and co-workers flew down to the island on Jan. 1, to help in the search.

"He might have stepped off a trail and ... When we arrived we were all very stressed. We wanted to go search for him. But we were taken to a room in the police station and interrogated by island officials," Gonzales said.

"They asked questions about his habits, personality traits -- the strangest questions. They were upset because he is the first person ever who has gone missing on the island."

Gonzales said they talked to officials with the island’s tourism bureau and asked if they could put up posters around to ask if anyone had seen Gove, but they declined the request. "It would be very bad for island tourism, they told us," Gonzales said.

Finally, the next day the group was able to follow Gove’s footsteps along the trail, but found nothing. "At least we thought we were doing something," Ashton said. "This is surreal. This man is a successful, determined man who strives to be the best and wouldn’t walk out. He has a strong will and is passionate about politics and children." Gove rarely took a cell phone with him, even when he was working in the field, co-workers said. "He would always lose them," Ashton said. "Besides, one of us was always with him and we all have cell phones to use." In addition, cell phones don’t work on Saba, Gonzales said.


His brother is still on the island, keeping those back home abreast of what’s happening. Because the search is expensive and now exhausted, an account has been set up to collect donations to fund and expand the search, said Lynne Azarchi, executive director of Kidsbridge Children’s Museum. Gove has served on the board of directors of Kidsbridge since 1996, Azarchi said. "Joel is an incredible, devoted, passionate board member from the beginning of this organization," Azarchi said. "He’s just a great guy, incredible father, and an amazing human being. He’s very committed to the revitalization of Trenton."


Donations can be sent in care of Kidsbridge, c/o Yardville National Bank, 4556 S. Broad St., 2nd Floor, Yardville, N.J. 08620.

MORE TEEN VIOLENCE IN ARUBA...

Two teenagers stabbed during torchlight procession

ORANJESTAD – Two teenagers seriously stabbed during torchlight procession. The incident took place near the Crystal Casino. (Hmmm...near a CASINO you say?) One of the teenagers was stabbed in his chest and in his throat and lost a lot of blood. (It's called a Columbian necktie...wonder if these kids are "pimps"?) An ambulance rushed him to the hospital.

The other teenager was stabbed in his stomach and punched one of his longs. He underwent urgent surgery and his situation is critical. The victims are 17 and 18 years old. The police are investigating the case. There's no trace of the culprit. (Let me bet this doesn't get "solved" either. Wonder how the ALE is doing these days? How about Dompig? Van der Stratten?)

THE INTERNET--A PREDATOR'S PARADISE

Hey ladies! Are you HOT or NOT? Joran wants to know!

A DAY OF MOURNING FOR ARUBA'S TOURISM

All I can say is I LOVE IT. Keep eatin' that crow...I'm surprised they haven't figured it out yet. WE WILL NOT RETREAT.

BOYCOTT ARUBA!!!

Carnival Destiny says goodbye to Aruba

ORANJESTAD – Cruise ship Carnival Destiny moored for the last time in the harbour of Aruba. Businessman René Zaandam regrets the leaving of the cruise ship and organized a ‘mourning day’ as symbolic protest. He called on everybody in the tourist sector to wear a black T-shirt today. “It’s a very sad day for the economy”, said Zaandam.

In his point of view, Aruba loses an important source of income with the leaving of this big cruise ship. He is of the opinion that Tourism-minister, Edison Briesen (MEP) has dropped a big clanger by not doing anything to keep the Carnival Destiny for Aruba. “He knew already, since August of 2005, that the shipping company that owns this cruise ship was planning to stop calling in at the port of Aruba. He pretended in March of 2006 that he knew nothing and in June he said that he would do something. It didn’t help.”

Zaandam calculates the revenue that Aruba misses out on. “Cruise passengers on ships of the caliber of Carnival Destiny spend an average of one-hundred dollars when they are in Aruba. This cruise ship accommodates an average of 2000 passengers, which means a source of income of about 200.000 dollars per week years after years.”


According to Zaandam, the cruise ship company indicated that they can no longer call in at Aruba, due to the high fuel prices. It’s such a pity that the minister had done nothing to eliminate this argument. “Look at the recent development with Valero, for whom the government had fixed an exception so they can pay less bbo. Wasn’t that also possible with Carnival Destiny? The minister could have stipulated that big cruise ships with at least 2000 passengers that call in at Aruba every week, would have the advantage of lower fuel price.” This way, the minister could have procured that big ships with passengers that spend money, continue to call in at Aruba.


Aruba Ports Authority (APA) announced last year November that three new cruise ships will call in at Aruba in 2007. On Amigoe’s question whether these three ships will fill the gap left behind by Carnival Destiny, Zaandam reacted that it’s not the number of ships that is important, but the number of passengers and the amount of money they spend in Aruba. “The new cruise ships have Aruba as pick-up point. Thus their passengers fly to Aruba, arrive late in the afternoon, and leave port in the evening. “These passengers won’t spend money on excursions in Aruba, because they do not want to miss their flight. Besides the passenger on these cruises won’t have that much money to spend like the ones on Carnival Destiny.”


Zaandam stood in the harbour of Oranjestad, dressed in a black T-shirt (HA HA HA!!!). He had called on tour operators, bus drivers, taxi drivers, sales persons and owners of souvenir stores, members of shopkeepers’ association Mambo, and everybody that works in the tourist sector of Aruba to mourn the leaving of Carnival Destiny.


A symbolic action, he admits. “By introducing the bbo, this government made it clear that protesting means nothing. They still do what they want and are not concerned about the tourism receiving a blow. This is high season and yet there are days with no cruise ships in the harbour.”

CONFESSIONS OF A PREDATOR

*Here is another great installment by "Natalee's Freebirds". I did not contribute to this article.




Joran Van Der Sloot's own actions show his modus operandi for manipulating his victims by assuming the role of tourist himself. Deepak and Satish Kalpoe tell us how they've done this with tourist girls before.

What exactly have they done 20 times with nothing going wrong before Natalee?

Considering the responses Satish and Deepak gave to authorities about prior activities with tourist girls - why was Joran never asked these same questions by his "interrogator"?


A frightening thought is wondering just how many victims these criminals have violated with this ruse? Using Joran as the front man, posing as a tourist from St Leo or Michigan University (or from Holland, as in Natalee's case)- coincidentally staying at their target's hotel, while the others wait for him to play out his role convincingly, and effectively snare their victim.


Just how many other unsuspecting and drugged US teens stepped into a silver Honda Civic thinking it was a taxi? 20 of them?


Joran Van Der Sloot: “It was a normal thing for us to do, you know, go to our friends, go to the beach, talk to American tourists, you know, then go out with them and have a good time and, you know, nothing — nothing ever bad has ever happened. I mean it's happened probably 20, 20 times nothing has ever gone wrong.” (Source)


Greta Van Susteren: Do you remember any conversation at all you had with him, like even if it was like' about chips, or anything at all?


Ruth McVey: Only that he said that he was 19 and played soccer at a school in Holland.


Greta Van Susteren: So he didn't say that he was in high school?

Student: No

(Source)

Words of the Suspects

It wasn't the first time that I had girls in my car that were on vacation and dropped them off at hotels (DK- 06/09/05)

To your question whether or not we pick up girls when we go for example to "Carlos & Charlies", I can state the following. Yes, we from time to time pick up girls there. ( DK-6/10)


To your question whether these are local girls or tourists, I can state the following. They are tourists. (DK-6/10)


To your question as to who is the one who makes the first move towards the girls we are going to pick up, I can state the following. It usually is Joran or another friend with the name Freddy Zedan. ( DK-6/10)


To your question as to where we take the girls we pick up, I can state the following. Sometimes the girls stay at "Carlos & Charlies" or sometimes we take them to their hotel. ( DK-6/10)


To your question whether sexual intercourse has happened, I can state the following. Yes, it has happened.(DK-6/10)


To your question whether it ever happened that all of us, so in one room, had sexual intercourse, I can state the following. It has happened. ( DK-6/10)


This is not the first time that we have dropped young American girls off at their hotel. Generally after closing time of Carlos & Charlies, we drop young American girl at their hotels. (SK - 6/24)


To your question as to why Deepak and Satish don't pick up girls with their nice car, I answer you that I do not know why. You have to ask them. I have never seen Deepak or Satish in the company of a girl. I have never seen Deepak dance but I once saw Satish dance with "Carmen JACCOPUCHI". (JVDS-6/10)

Natalee and her family deserve justice, and we will not let up until they have it.

-Natalee's Freebirds

FAILURE TO PROSECUTE PART 2

*This research below is the works of "Natalee's Freebirds", not mine. Thank you Freebirds!

If there is still any doubt about Aruba's predetermined decision not to prosecute these criminals, nor recover Natalee and return her to her family, this should erase those doubts.


Before Natalee's family ever arrived on Aruba, the word was already out to law enforcement about "No Body, No Case". As evidenced by their failure to employ standard law enforcement procedures that first night, the 2 police officers who accompanied Natalee's family to the van der Sloot home must have already had their orders that Natalee Holloway would simply be swept under the rug. What else could explain their apathetic attitudes, and complete failure to take the proper steps by securing witness statements from all parties that night?



MISSING WITNESS STATEMENTS AND REPORTS WITNESSES - VDS' RESIDENCE - MAY 31, 2005 (Source)


TWITTY: I think, Joe, they need to go back to the beginning and question the people that were with me that night. We have already got conflicting stories now. People have changed their statements from the very first night. Those people that were with me that night, had they taken our statements at least a week after it happened, we would have already had the answer. But when they take my statement 33 days later, and they take the other guys‘ statements that were with me and ladies that were with me, you know, like 19 days later, it‘s like they didn‘t want to find the truth.



01. Jug Twitty

The step-father of Natalee Holloway was privy to so much that was said and done on the evening of May 30, 2005 as well as the morning of May 31, 2005 at the VDS residence. However, he was not required to give a declaration to investigator until 33 days later. Why?



02. Beth Twitty

Hours following the encounter at the VDS residence on the morning of May 31, 2005, Beth Twitty was at the police station ready to provide a declaration regarding her observations and and everything she heard since she first set foot on Aruban soil. Her feelings were those of utter disbelieve as she stepped back outside the station. Her precious daughter was missing and "the powers that be" in Aruba did not want an immediate witness statement that may have the ability to provide investigators with assistance.


On June 1, 2005, Beth Twitty's provided a witness statement which she signed. Later that same day, upon the request of Dennis Jacobs, Beth signed a revised statement - prepared for her, and written in Dutch. Beth and Jug Twitty were told the need for this second statement was due to a date change being made. When Beth's copy of her statement was translated three weeks later she discovered that more than the date had been changed from her original statement.


Are both of these statements from Beth still in the case file? Or did her first, original, correct statement disappear?



03. Claudio Eldrige

Beth and Jug Twitty maintain that on the morning of May 31, 2005 Paulus Van der Sloot stated that he picked up Joran at McDonald's parking lot at 4:00 AM on May 30, 2005 - mere hours after Natalee Holloway had gone missing. Beth recorded this time in her journal.


However, by June 16/17, 2005 Paulus had changed the pickup time to 11:00 PM on May 29, 2005. The Aruban Attorney representing Natalee's family stated in a letter to the prosector that Jug asserts Claudio Eldrige is aware of the time that Paulus stated and she inquires as to whether or not Claudio has been interrogated.



04. Alberto Groenveld and Claudio Eldridge

At 2:30 AM on the morning of May 31, 2005 .... Alberto Groeneveld and Claudio Eldrige observed Deepak Kalpoe's vehicle inside the fence of the Van der Sloot property. These men told Natalee’s family that they climbed the fence and recording the tag (license) number. At this particular time Joran claimed to be at the Radisson Casino - that he was gambling while Deepak waited.


As of June 23, 2005, investigators had not taken official witness statements from Alberto Groeneveld and Caudio Elridge. Have these witness statements ever been obtained?



05. Charles Croes

On June 29, 2005 Charles Croes, an owner of a cell phone company on Aruba, related to Greta the events, from his perspective, regarding what took place on the evening of May 30, 2005 and the early morning hours of May 31, 2005 at the VDS residence. At that point in time, Charles was very supportive of Natalee's mother and step-father in regards to their plight concerning Natalee Holloway's disappearance.


His involvement began when Beth Twitty required a cell phone message traced - a message that appeared to be left by her daughter. However, following the Greta interview Charles' loyalties suddenly changed. The Aruban Attorney who was representing Natalee's family queried in a letter to the prosecutor whether Charles had been interrogated by investigators. Jug claims that Charles "hold's the keys" regarding what happened and what was said in those initial first hours. Also, Dave Holloway has his suspicions that Charles was working with the ALE -monitoring his cell phones as well as those of his friends while they were on the Island.


Nevertheless, an official witness statement given by Charles Croes has never been revealed.



06. Police Officers


The official declarations of two Aruban police officers who accompanied Jug and Beth Twitty and others to the Van der Sloot residence on the the morning of May 31, 2005 have not yet been revealed. Beth Twitty claims that she has read these declarations and there were "key elements" left out regarding what was done and said that morning.



07. DEA Officer


According to Jug and Beth Twitty, the DEA Officer, Eric Williams, who participated in the events, observed what was done and heard what was said on the evening of May 30, 2005 and the morning of May 31, 2005. Mr. Williams has never been interrogated by by investigators. Athough Eric Williams was not acting in an official capacity, why was he not questioned as a witness?



08. Paul Lilly

Paul Lilly, a chaperone, stayed behind when the MB students and other chaperones left the Island. Paul informed the front desk clerk at the Holiday Inn that Natalee was missing on the morning of Monday, May 30, 2005, and was instructed to speak to the Beach Patrol/Visibility Team.


The Beach Patrol must have immediately contacted the Aruban Law Enforcement because Jan Van Straaten stated that the ALE received the report of Natalee's disappearance on Monday morning. The missing person's report taken by the Beach Patrol as well as documented details regarding follow up action by the ALE has yet to be revealed.



09. Jug and Beth Twitty's Friends

Friends of Jug and Beth Twitty (P, B, and W) who accompanied them to the VDS residence on the morning of May 31, 2005 were on the island for several days following the encounter and, although their whereabouts were known to ALE, these witness statements were never requested by investigators.


Over one month later, at the insistence of the family's Aruban lawyer, witness statements were provided to the FBI in the United Sates, followed by sworn statements to a federal judge. According to Jug, Karin Janssen declined to provide specific questions that she required to be answered which could be included in these sworn statements. One can only hope that the witness statements provided to both the FBI and the federal judge can be found in the Natalee Holloway case file.


10. Joran Van der Sloot's Friend Charles Croes claimed that a friend of Joran who they met at the beach in the early hours of May 30, 2005 while searching for Natalee Holloway recognized the description of Joran as well as Deepak's vehicle. This young man then climbed into Charles Croes vehicle and directed him to the VDS' residence.


We assume that the statement of this witness that has yet to be released would confirm that Deepak's vehicle was parked inside the compound and the fact that Alberto Groenveld and Claudio Eldridge scaled the fence in their efforts to to see and record the tag (license number).

Natalee and her family deserve justice, and we will not let up until they have it.

--Natalee's Freebirds

ROBBING IN ARUBA...SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT VACATION...

AN ACCOUNT OF A VACATION TURNED BAD--ARUBA'S ROBBERY PROBLEM

Several friends just returned from Marriott Aruba...it was either the Surf or Ocean Club where they own a timeshare and I'm not sure which place it was.


Their friends that they traveled with (also timeshare owners at Marriott Aruba) were robbed from their in room safe not once during their week BUT TWICE.


First time they stole $500 in cash and a digital camera. Police came...very slowly they said, friend lost nearly a day on the beach w/ all the paperwork etc. Marriott reiumbursed (sic) them the cash and camera.


Then IT HAPPENED AGAIN.


This time supposedly there was $1500 in the safe and some other things. Same deal...police, lost day on the beach etc. But Marriott has not settled that robbery with them yet. This has never happened to them in all of their visits previously.


Marriott and police agree that it probably was an "inside" job. And that is all I know. Just posted this for informational purposes. Not bashing Marriott...it could happen anywhere. I love the Marriott. From the sound of it, they handled it approrpiately (sic) and most certainly want to get to the bottom of it as well. (That line sounds very familiar, doesn't it?)


I have no clue how you protect your valuables if you cant lock them in a hotel safe...i guess hide them someplace.

(Source)

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

Read this article first...the man is a complete tool. I actually laughed out loud at how poorly it was written, his misogynistic attitude, and his blatant errors in reciting the facts of the case. I'm actually embarrassed for him. This guy is a writer?

Now read Meri's Commentary:

By Meri, Aruban Boycott Contributor

If one is presenting oneself as a journalist it should be expected (at the very least) that said journalist has his facts straight.

The two boys who he refers to as "natives of Aruba" are in fact from Surinam.


The boy he refers to as "Swedish" is in fact Dutch.


There is NO racism involved here as the Kalpoe brothers (those so-called "natives of Aruba") fired the first shot by filing their lawsuit prior to the Holloway/Twitty suit.


Also, the Holloway/Twitty families attempted to sue Joran van der Sloot (the Dutch boy) and his father in NYC several months ago. There was NO racism involved whatsoever. Because Natalee Holloway was a teenager and may have done what many teenaged girls do while on her graduation trip, does that mean that she deserved to die and disappear?


Not only is this article full of factual errors but it is totally lacking in compassion. Shame on this reporter and in the future I suggest that he refer to himself as a wannabe journalist since he obviously has no clue what it takes to write a fair and balanced article.


Just the facts man, just the facts...

BROTHEL OWNERS TAKE AMSTERDAM TO COURT

Money Laundering Cited for License Revocation

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — A group of brothel owners that represents nearly a third of the prostitutes in Amsterdam's famed red light district have challenged a decision to revoke their licenses, the city said Friday.



The city notified the owners of 37 brothels and sex show venues on Nov. 30 they would be closed because of suspected involvement in money laundering.


The brothel owners maintain their financial problems are caused by banks refusing to do business with them. In its statement, the city said it would wait for a court ruling to take action. The case will likely be heard in mid-January, the city said.


The brothels represent around 300 of the district's scantily clad "windows" prostitutes who stand behind windows and tap their fingers against the glass to attract customers. The narrow streets near Amsterdam's center have been a hangout for prostitutes since the city was the hub of a global trading empire during the Netherlands' 17th century Golden Age.

---

MORE VACATION HORROR STORIES

Click Here for More Vacation Danger Stories--Aruba Included


"Danger in Paradise"

JUST SAY NO TO ARUBA--NO ONE WANTS TO GO THERE...

Where Are Travelers Heading In 2007?

Not Aruba!

(source)--Curious where travelers are headed in the coming year? We took a look at the most popular searches on Yahoo! FareChase to see which cities folks are flocking to in 2007. On the domestic list, perennial travel favorite Las Vegas shows no signs of ceding the top spot, while sunny Florida dominates the rest of the list, with five out of the top 10 searches.

We did note a few surprises on the international list, including the appearance of Frankfurt and Manila in the top 5. Visitors rave about Frankfurt's shopping and architecture, while Manila attracts budget travelers looking for beaches and nightlife. Of course, more traditional travel destinations like Paris and Rome made the list as well, placing at 7th and 8th respectively.

Top Domestic Travel Searches - 2007

1. Las Vegas, Nevada
2. Orlando, Florida
3. New York City, New York
4. Honolulu, Hawaii
5. Miami, Florida
6. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
7. Los Angeles, California
8. Tampa, Florida
9. Phoenix, Arizona
10. Ft. Myers, Florida
    

Top International Travel Searches - 2007

1. London, United Kingdom
2. Cancun, Mexico
3. Frankfurt, Germany
4. San Juan, Puerto Rico
5. Manila, Phillipines
6. Bangkok, Thailand
7. Paris, France
8. Rome, Italy
9. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
10. Amsterdam, Netherlands
    

I am thrilled to see that Aruba is NOT on this list. The boycott is working! Tourism Prime Minister Edison Briesen is in HOT water with Oduber and certain dutch politicans. The Dutch are the ones that rule the roost.

"If you ain't dutch, you ain't much..."

ARUBA CLAIMS "TOURISM ON RECOVERY PATH"

Ed Briesen, PM of Tourism--Jackass the Movie Part 4

ORANJESTAD-Aruba received 48,470 stay-over arrivals in September 2006 compared to 48,047 arrivals in September 2005, an increase of 0.9 percent.


September 2006 is the first month to show growth in stay-over arrivals since July 2005, an indication that tourism is on a recovery path. (I wouldn’t say a 0.9 increase is a “recovery”. Don’t you just love their ‘play on words’?) Europe and South America are responsible for much of the growth in stay-over tourism during last September. (Maybe that’s because Americans are smart enough to stay the hell away!)


The number of nights spent on Aruba rose from 369,496 nights in September 2005 to 369,737 nights in September 2006, an increase of 0.1 percent. The average hotel occupancy rate was of 66.6 percent in September this year compared to 69.1 percent in September 2005, a decline of 2.5 percentage points.


A total of 518,580 stay-over arrivals were welcomed on the island in the first 9 months of this year compared to 564,836 arrivals in the same period last year, a decline of 8.2 percent.

Market Performance September 2006

North America

The U.S. remained the most important generating market for Aruba in September 2006, responsible for 61 percent of all arrivals. The island welcomed 29,457 Americans in September 2006 compared to 29,523 Americans in September of last year, a decline of 0.2 percent. A total of 370,123 Americans were welcomed in the first 9 months of 2006 compared to 414,661 Americans in the same period last year, a decline of 10.7 percent.


Stay-over arrivals from Canada fell by 7.2 percent in September 2006. Aruba welcomed 1,141 Canadians in September 2006 compared to 1,230 Canadians in September 2005. Nevertheless the Canadian market is up 3.1 percent to a total of 16,418 arrivals for the first 9 months of this year compared to the same period in 2005.

South America

Venezuela has remained traditionally the second most important generating market for September. A total 8,348 Venezuelans arrived on the island in September 2006 compared to 8,411 arrivals in September 2005, a decline of 0.8 percent. The Venezuelan market has declined by 4.6 percent to 44,185 arrivals in the first 9 months of 2006 compared to the same period last year.


The Argentine market is up by 55.4 percent to 331 arrivals in September 2006, the Brazilian market is up 86.1 percent to 696 arrivals, the Colombian market is up 17.6 percent to 735 arrivals, the Ecuadorian market is up 141 percent to 147 arrivals.

Europe

The Dutch market grew strong, 2,725 Dutchmen arrived last September compared to 2,464 Dutchmen in September 2005, an increase of 10.6 percent. The British market fell by 0.9 percent to 955 arrivals, the Spanish market is up 2 percent, the Italian market is down 1.3 percent, the German market is up 9.6 percent, Belgian market is up 2.5 percent, the Swiss market is up 63.1 percent, Swedish market is up 17.3 percent, Norwegian market is down 3.6 percent and the Finnish market is up 96.3 percent.


(Source)

HOW 'BOUT THIS HOWIE? NO DEAL!

First of all I'd like to say Howie Mandel is next to Pauly Shore as one of biggest washups from the 80's, and how he managed to get a show amazes me. The other thing that amazes me is that this show is popular?! I guess I just have higher standards in television...I only watch cable shows that are intellectually stimulating rather than watching some fat-ass bus driver from Scranton, Pennsylvania begging his family to decide if he should "go for it"! It's embarassing to see how Americans will behave just to be on TV...

Also, Howie, I must say the bald look is NOT for you.

But that's not my point. I was told by "People for Natalee" that 'Deal or no Deal' is giving out trips to Aruba as prizes. Now we all know that Aruba is giving away trips like Paris Hilton gives away her 'uh-hum'... Aruba needs to give out free trips to get people down there so they can "up" their tourism rates and "prove to the ignorant people" that their island is doing just fine.

Can't you see behind the big "black curtain"? It's not the Wizard of Oz...it's a small group of people led by Eddie Briesen, the PM of Tourism, that is pimping out his island to save his political ass.


Please write to Deal or no Deal, or even Howie himself and tell him or NBC how you feel about them allowing to take free trips from Aruba as prizes/"favors". I wonder how the show would recover if something scandlous happened to one of their "winners". Then what? I wonder what Steve Cohen, Mr. Hollywood is doing these days for his Aruba tourism efforts?

I say, NO DEAL!


Check out Howie Mandel's LAME interview and his loser bio..
What has happened to Hollywood standards?



Contact NBC

BETTER POLICE INTEGRITY NOW AN ISSUE???

A master plan is needed for better police integrity

ORANJESTAD – An investigation report (This is so laughable. They had to do a "report" on this? So are they basically admitting that their police protection sucks...real good for that faltering tourism of theirs...) on the efficiency of the Police Corps of Aruba (KPA) regarding integrity, states that the control on work procedure is poorly; promotional transfers take place, while there is a disciplinary investigation going; and there is no correct follow up after irregularities within the corps are signaled.


Forensic Services Caribbean in Curaçao did the investigation by order of Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP). Amigoe learned this from documents that the paper received for perusal. The report was already given to the then chief of police Ronny Bernadina on April 3rd of this year.


The investigation took place in 2005 and based on the findings, Forensic Services Caribbean advices to draw up a master plan to deal with the integrity risks. Based on conversations with some key-officials within the KPA and external partners of the corps, like the Security Service, the Public Prosecutor, and the Coastguard, they have mapped nine risks. They have also analyzed summaries of integrity rules violations within the corps.


They first noticed that many rules regarding work procedures and work processes are established, but that these are not univocal and not conveniently arranged. The procedures differ per (police-, editor) district and are implemented or interpreted differently.” Besides, several regulations are not complete. Not everybody is familiar with the procedures, they are difficult of access, and several of the versions used are outdated. Several procedures are too complex and have therefore lost their powers. “They have become dead letters”, states the report.


There is lack of control on the observance of the procedures in all sectors of the organization. This has to do with not having qualitatively good employees on managerial positions. Another reason is that there is lack of open culture, in which employees dare to talk to each other. In order to restrict this risk, the bureau advices to further specify the career policy and to organize trainings that would provoke a culture change within the police corps.


A third risk that can cause the integrity of the corps to come into play is the lack of confidence when it comes to exchange information. Confidential information is leaked to third parties and nobody knows what to do with the information or that the information can be used against you. “This lack of confidence has consequences for the internal- and external communication”, states the report. It also forms a hindrance for working effectively and efficiently. Their advice is again a culture chance in order to create confidence.

MERRY X-MAS AND ALL THAT...

For the next few days I will be in the process of updating this blog, such as adding posts to the new category section on the sidebar. The list is not complete, as there are some 900 posts for me to go through in order to make it easier for you to jump around! Have a merry xmas!

We are thinking of you Natalee!

MERI'S BACK--HONEST LEGAL OPINION

By Meri, Aruban Boycott Contributor

I haven't had much to say as of late but I wanted to voice my opinion on a few things.

The Dr. Phil Show is filmed in the United States and therefore any civil wrong-doing that someone may have perpetrated during the course of that show and that might have harmed the Plaintiffs (the Kalpoe's in this case), will give them legal jurisdiction.


This is quite different from the lawsuit that was attempted in NYC regarding Joran and Paulus as the accusations of various crimes happened on Aruba and NOT in the USA. There was never any personal jurisdiction here in the USA and the suit could only be heard on Aruba (which I doubt would have ever happened having viewed their judicial system and how they interpret it).


There was also the closely knit relationships among the Judges (the Court) and the parties involved. I don't think that any lawsuit would be a success on Aruba regarding this case.


As for extradition; Ramm is right. You can't extradite on a Civil matter. It is difficult enough to extradite on a criminal matter where evidence is clear; especially where treaties are in place.


That is where Ramm and I part ways.....as for his association with BFN and some of the people there, we totally disagree and I find that many of them have a strange way of showing support for Natalee and her family.


I NEVER believed for one second that Ramm had any sort of legal background or knowledge, but he is entitled to his opinions no matter how different from my own. He does come across as if he is an "expert" on certain subjects which I find amusing but harmless. He, like many of us have no actual standing in this case and all we can do are the following: offer support, help with the boycott movement; or do research so that we can impart a better understanding of the particulars involving this case and the places and people in the cast of characters.


Truth be told, other than some very good articles on various Internet sites, this boycott site, and some kind and compassionate people who have stood alongside the family, most of us have contributed nothing.


We have shown our compassion in many ways and hopefully, that has been a help to the family as they go through this long, drawn-out, exhausting process of trying to find the truth as to what happened to Natalee Holloway.


There are a few people working on some areas that may someday bring some International attention to Natalee's plight, but that hasn't happened as of yet.


As for the Kalpoe's and their lawsuit....it isn't as frivolous as it may appear at first glance. I don't believe one single word that comes from the mouths of the Kalpoes'. Joran, Paulus and the rest of the bozos on Aruba, but I DO know that Dr. Phil messed up. He made some unsubstantiated claims on his show and he has not been able to prove what he said. He based his comments on a tape that may or may not have been flawed and was most definitely edited. That alone means that the Kalpoes' may actually have reason to believe that they were Civilly injured.


Even the FBI has not supported the veracity of the Skeeter's tape and therefore we have no idea who said what to whom and what was true or edited. I doubt that the case will ever go to Court for trial and I believe that the powers that be at The Dr. Phil Show will settle this case with the Kalpoe's.


Frankly, the thought of them profiting from this situation makes me feel sick but the law is the law and Dr. Phil did damage not only to the suspects but to the entire case when he butted in. He simply did not have enough facts (no one does except for those who know the truth). Therefore, he left himself and his show open for a Civil action.


I hate to quote a television show, but it makes sense to listen to what Gil Grissam of CSI says when he states, "We always follow the evidence". In this case, most of the evidence has been lost, destroyed or never gathered.


After all this time, I still believe that Joran, the Kalpoes, some of their other associates, his father and others on Aruba know what happened to Natalee and I do NOT believe the "I left her on the beach story".


Do NOT be shocked or surprised if the Kalpoe Brother's DO profit from their lawsuit....it is not much of a stretch to picture them winning some kind of settlement since Dr. Phil was careless and since the tape that he used on his show was edited. They can be as guilty as hell and still win their suit.....it all depends on what was said, how it was said, the intent of what was said and what evidence there is to back-up their claims.


If it can be proven that Dr. Phil based his comments on an unproven video and audio tape and that the tape was not used in it's true content...therefore inflicting harm on the Plaintiffs....BINGO.


I will feel ill if the Kalpoes' are victorious but I will not be surprised.

Michelle's Opinion:

These faces don't look like those who are innocent.
If I were in deep shit I'd look pretty sad, too.

LET'S GET IT ON...EITHER ACQUIT OR COMMIT

My mom always used to say, "Either shit or get off the pot." Get these bastards on trial and lets be done with this. Not only is her family exhausted, but so are the rest of us trying to help Natalee receive her due justice. We want an end to this Aruba! Get your lazy asses in gear and tell your Dutch counterparts the same thing! And you can tell them I SAID SO!

The murder of baby Lindbergh

Now, men and women, as I told you before, there are some cases in which a recommendation of mercy might do, but not this one, not this one. Either this man is the filthiest and vilest snake that ever crawled through the grass, or he is entitled to an acquittal. If you bring in a recommendation of mercy, a wishy- washy decision, yes, it is your province, I will not say a word about it. I will not say another word. But it seems to me that you have the courage. If you are convinced, as all of us are —you must find him guilty of murder in the first degree.

—David T. Wilentz, Attorney General of New Jersey
in his summation to the jury, February 13, 1935

ARUBA FULL OF HYPOCRITICAL PIGS

Isn't it funny, yet so very sad, that Aruba's prosecutor Ms. Inept Karin Jansen never looked into (maybe they have but destroyed any records) and never even reported or questioned Paulus van der Sloot's mysterious midnight ATM withdrawals the night Natalee vanished. But Curaco jumps on this right away? Money laundering is no problem there, neither is drug or human trafficking. But fake ATM cards! Now THAT's a true crime, isn't it?


I truly believe in karma as much as I believe in GOD, and I know that not only will the Van der Sloot family get theirs, but everyone else involved in this conspiracy to cover up the wrong-doing of Joran and his evil friends. This island is PATHETIC and I don't know how ANYONE in their right mind would want to visit this hell hole. How can they call it a vacation destination? It's a third world country with major political and criminal issues. By the time this is all said and done Aruba will be nothing but a speck on the map that no one will remember.

Arrests for fraud with ATM cards

WILLEMSTAD – Seven men, including 5 from Trinidad were arrested for fraud with ATM cards. The 5 men from Trinidad were arrested around 20:00 at the MCB ATM at the corner of Klipstraat/Breedestarrt in Otrobanda.


They had 40 blank ATM cards and 7000 dollars with them. The Otrobanda police received a call that 5 men were behaving suspiciously at the ATM. This is the second time in a short period of time that foreigners are arrested for this offence on the island. Two Bulgarian men were arrested in October for trying to commit the same fraud at an ATM of MCB and Banco di Caribe. These men also had blank ATM-cards with them.


This form of ATM-fraud is called skimming. According to MCB’s assistant managing director Ruthsella Jansen, the men were busy getting cash in Curacao with shimmed cards from elsewhere in the world. They have already visited several ATM’s.


Jansen learned that two other men were arrested today and more cards and money were confiscated. The criminals attach something on the card slot of an ATM that reads and stores data from the magnetic tape stripe of a bank card. The customer withdraws cash from the ATM, finishes the transaction, picks up his/her cash and removes the bank card. After the customer leaves, the criminals take the data stored and put it on a blank atm-card. The criminals also attach a mini camera on the upper side of the ATM, with which they retrieve the pin code.


The Bulgarians that were arrested in October were busy committing this fraud here in Curacao, but they were stopped on time. It is very difficult for the bank to prevent people from withdrawing cash from an ATM with these blank cards. Because the banks in question were not aware of the fraud, they could not block the cards on time. The employees that are in charge of the ATM service, can only check whether more money is withdrawn than normal and whether certain cards are used more often. Via the numbers, the region and the bank can be recognized, so retrieving the data is not difficult. With yesterday’s and today’s arrest, the damage for the MCB could be restricted.

GOING TO ARUBA? POLICE YOURSELF!

This post is so pathetic it makes me sick. Gee, I'd really love to spend my money going to somewhere where I have to police myself! And by the way, they consider vandalism worse than drug dealing! GO FIGURE!

WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO GO ARUBA???

Aruba Needs Your Help!! (No shit...)

Hi everyone, We have a bit of a problem (? a bit?) that needs your help. As we all know, petty crime has been on the increase in Aruba. We can do something about this but not without your help.


The obvious help is to protect your belongings. Don't be foolish tourists (you bad, bad tourists! It's all your fault because you are so foolish!) and leave items for other tourists and local criminals to take. Remember, although Aruba is safer than just about anywhere in our own country, petty crime does exist. Then there is the less obvious help.

As requested by the powers that be, we are compiling a list of any crimes that you have witnessed or been the victims of. I don't mean the stupid kid trying to sell you a joint. (Oh? Dealing drugs on the corner isn't a crime? Just an annoyance? I'm sure some father would love to know that his child is being offered drugs on the street!)

I mean vandalism, petty theft, and any categories I am missing that have occurred since the first of this year. (MURDER? RAPE? CORRUPTION? I find it absolutely distasteful that vandalism and petty theft are worse than drug dealers. WHY ON EARTH WOULD ANYONE WANT TO GO HERE???)


We want as many details as you remember. Location, action, were police called, did they respond in a timely manner, and anything else that you can think of. We are working closely with the authorities to maintain a safe Aruba as it has always been and continues to be relative to most places. We can be that much more effective at this with your feedback! (Love it...once it was "the safest", now it's "relative to most.")


We would like you to send an email to us with the aforementioned details. If you are uncomfortable sending it to people you don't know, you are welcome to pm me. I will sticky this post and close this thread so that all replies can be sent to us. thanks!!!!

(Source)--http://bb.visitaruba.com/showthread.php?t=5419