Wednesday morning marked the conclusion of the “Avestruz Case” proceedings in court. This week, 40 hours were spent reviewing the entire case file once more. Those involved in the case had the last word to express what the case meant to them.
One of the principal figures in the Avestruz Case, Benny Sevinger, pointed out that the case started last week Monday and almost every day since has been filled with court proceedings, totaling eight days. The sessions began in the morning and continued until late in the afternoon.
The politician mentioned that after today, there will be a “recess” until July 12th, during which the verdict will be given. He feels that the judgment will be positive.
The judges took their time to read the dossier and asked questions to clarify why the first judge who handled the case reached this decision. Sevinger stated that the defense did “a tremendous job” legally to achieve an acquittal according to democratic rules in the court system.
Moreover, the politician indicated that the Public Prosecution Service is “wrong and strong” in seeking a conviction regardless. He suggested that any conviction would be politically motivated.
Sevinger highlighted that a “group of people entitled to request land did so and were labeled as ‘AVP sympathizers.'” For a prosecutor to bring this forward seems to target a group that received land and developed it but does not want it for the people, which is something political.
On Monday, press officer Patrick van de Biezen stated that the public should not think this case is about political persecution. It is not a question of assuming that politicians filed a complaint against Sevinger and sat with the Public Prosecution Service to allocate parliamentary budget to pursue Benny Sevinger, or that former Minister Otmar Oduber spent 400,000 florins at the PG’s table to pursue Benny Sevinger. “That is not an assumption; that is a fact!”
With all this, can he still think there is no political persecution?
Additionally, Sevinger showed that there is interference within the Public Prosecution Service, and in the coming days, more will be heard about this. He has obtained evidence and will publish the cases of interference within the Public Prosecution Service. He will demonstrate the evidence in different ways.
All this is to show the public that Aruba has a Public Prosecution Service working under political pressure. The judges from Curaçao or the Netherlands can see the impartiality of justice. But it is a fact that there is political persecution in Aruba.
With the conclusion of the defense part of the Avestruz Case, “I leave it in God’s hands. Cabinets Eman I and II worked for Aruba, developing projects and improving the quality of life for our citizens. That is why our political opponents are trying to break us.”
The parliamentarian finally stated, “There is a God, and the truth will always prevail.”
