Since last Friday, May 24, 2024, Mr. Adolfo “Dolfi” Richardson is no longer the director of the National Central Bureau for Counterterrorism, Security, and INTERPOL (NCTVI). He was removed from his position and banned from entering any building of this department. This is a more concrete step after his general “entry ban,” when he was immediately removed from his position, still receiving a salary but without any function!
Another factor must have come forward in his integrity investigation, during which some issues were found in his “file” that are not fitting for a chief of justice. It seems that the Aruba Security Service (VdA) conducted the investigation and gave negative advice to Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes and Minister Rocco Tjon regarding Dolfi Richardson’s position. With this advice, the government had no other option but to send the director home immediately and relieve him of his duties.
He did not pass the integrity test
The exact reason for removing a former Police Commissioner from his position is not known, but it must have been something significant to lead the VdA to take such a strong stance. Because without this integrity approval, Richardson cannot work in ANY position within our country’s justice system anymore and it means he must walk the path to terminate his contract with the Government of Aruba.
While the Aruba Security Service never publicly disclosed what the serious accusation against Dolfi Richardson was to immediately remove him from his position, word on the street indicate a serious problem. One or more women have reportedly filed complaints against him, including a government department head, for questionable, or even condemnable behavior. Whether there is evidence of such behavior is unknown, but something must be amiss for them to have chosen the path that automatically leads to the end of a long career in justice for Dolfi Richardson.
Dolfi Richardson: I am preparing my case!
“I confirm that I received an official letter from the minister stating that I am ‘relieved of my duties, effective immediately.’ If you want more information, check with the minister. I understand you, but I can’t say more, because I have to prepare my case, and when it’s so early, I can’t say anything more,” that’s how Dolfi Richardson responded when asked for his opinion about being removed from his position. This could mean that he will not take it lying down and will seek all legal avenues to fight this decision by Ministers Wever-Croes and Tjon.
VdA doesn’t always get it right
We learned that even the Aruba Security Service (VdA) can make mistakes in its advice to the two ministers it reports to in the case of Richard Kramers. VdA gave negative advice for Richard Kramers to become the director of the Coast Guard because he failed his integirty report. The former policeman took VdA to court and won his case. VdA appealed the verdict and lost in appeal too. All three saw the same thing and ruled the same way as in the first case. This forced VdA to give Richard Kramers a letter stating that he IS integral and that the previous advice was wrong and without any basis in truth and on pure speculation.
What can be done now?
When the Aruba Security Service (VdA) gives the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice a negative advice on your integrity, your options for protest are very limited. The law does not give politicians much room to maneuver against such advice. What should happen is that you, as the “victim,” challenge VdA in court against their advice. But… to do something like that, you have to be 100% sure of your case and be very sure that they have nothing against you or anything that can present and put you in an even more uncomfortable situation, because these cases are public. And it’s also coming to the point that even if you win, there’s no guarantee that the minister will allocate you back to the position, because in the meantime, your name is already tainted in the community.
