The mountain that labored and brought forth a mouse is an old Greek proverb that goes back to Aesop. It refers to great promises and great labors that produce little results; in most of the Latin versions it says produces ridiculous results.
Do you already know what I am talking about?
I am, of course, talking about the Ostrich/Avestruz case investigation. To refresh your memory, it revolved around the possible improper assignment of land from 2009 to 2017, and kept us all on tippy-toes, until the verdicts of all involved were read recently.
The verdicts were astoundingly light and the general prosecutor announced he will give it another try, in three of the cases. Another announcement that same week also made clear that the prosecutor’s office is abandoning all investigations related to another case, Aloe, later referred to as Kukwisa, focusing on another minister of infrastructure, and another DIP director, namely, Marisol Tromp and Haime Croes. In the case of Marisol the prosecutor’s letter stated that after a long and profound local investigation, she was cleared, and was unjustly suspected.
Wow, after being subjected to years of insinuations and poison rumors, from both Min Pres and MinFic, the mountain brought forth a mouse. At least the country of Aruba was spared the futile expense.
Because, we spent many millions on the Ostrich/Avestruz case, with special investigators going around the globe to hear witnesses from Panama to the Netherlands and back. Special judges, teams of Police, IT specialists, mountains of papers – it cost millions.
And that’s what I mean, the mountain that labored brought forth a mouse.
First of all we have to remember that if we investigate any individual, minister or not, we will always find something — but is that something worth the trouble of investigating?
Secondly, we have very deficient laws, and even if we think certain moves unethical, and wrong, they are not illegal. Nepotism, favoritism, not illegal. Morally wrong perhaps, but not criminal.
So what if a DIP employee, who rarely shows his face in the office, gets to own a number of premier real estate properties, getting rich in the process. The government gets paid what’s owed, so what’s the problem??
And talking about law suits, another case is upcoming, the case of our Minister Plenipotentiary and his employment status. But that’s a civil suit, nothing criminal so far.
We would have been better off pouring all the money into converting DIP into a well-oiled, courteous and efficient machine, instead of the black hole that it is. DIP has been sluggish for years, even now that the minister who disabled it, in order to amplify his power and importance, is gone.