This is what came to my mind when I read the summation of former minister Sevinger, in court during the last day of the Ostrich proceedings. I realized he really sees himself as a victim, he was wronged, by practically everyone.
Every school psychologist will tell you that bullies see themselves as victims – they can’t help but act out, and in fact all bullies are also always victims, having been abused themselves, where they learned the behavior.
The former minister definitely falls into that category.
The much-awaited verdict in the long-investigated Ostrich case will be given in three weeks, I understand, and the public prosecutor requested five-years in jail for the former minister, stemming from charges such as embezzlement, abuse of power, bribery, as well as defrauding the country of Aruba of its land, money laundering and a slew of other alleged crimes which took place between 2009 to 2017 when he was the Minister of Infrastructure in the AVP government.
(13 years as a member of parliament and 8 years as a minister)
The Ostrich case included a great number of other accused, related to the minister, who also enriched themselves shamelessly at the expense of the public.
He allowed it to happen on his watch.
In his summation, the former minister, painted himself as a political victim, where he and his family members lived under the accusations of opponents, falsely smeared in the media, for being corrupt and criminal.
He also accused the public prosecutor for being politically motivated, which the judge did not appreciate.
How Sevinger can easily repeat these mantras shows how deep his denial runs.
To his defense he says he was available 24/7 for his countrymen, and indeed signed every petition slipped under his nose, why not, it wasn’t his job to check if the petition had merit.
Didn’t the relevant departments have to vet, investigate and evaluate?!
He just scribbled his name, but that did not mean that he endorsed every project.
What kind of a cockamamie defense it that.
If the minister signs a petition, it stands to reason that all other relevant departments will follow his lead.
Another cockamamie defense was the fact that during his terms, 105 projects were completed, including the famous four lane highway.
He forgot to mention that none of these projects, he was so proud of, were paid for. His government deferred all payments to the future, and left the debt to successors.
As a young politician Sevinger bloomed under the tutelage of Watty Voz, the inspiration and role model, who operated similarly, granting favors and collecting favors, in accordance to our so called ‘culture,’ exchanging niceties, one hand washes the other.
Voz introduced that corrupt system and it lingered on resulting in Ostrich, Flamingo and Ibis, all cases of misuse of authority and abuse of public funds.
The prosecutor will be trying to recuperate almost one million florins in assets,
The final cockamamie? Sevinger positions himself as a humble man from a poor background, a husband, father, and grandfather, why are we picking on him?
