Court orders Commissioner Abraham to repay Mariadal Foundation
KRALENDIJK — The Court in First Instance has ordered Clark Abraham, the political leader of PDB (Partido Demokrátiko Boneriano) to pay $17,984 plus interest to the Mariadal Foundation, dossierkoninkrijksrelaties.nl reports.
Last year, Abraham won a bid for supplying Mariadal with 1,000 sheets through his company Yo! Branding & Productions. The value of the bid was $19,548. He asked (and received) the advance payment of the complete amount.
Mariadal is a healthcare institution that provides emergency care, short and long term care, diagnostics and medication on Bonaire.
The court ruling states that the company Abraham used is not registered anywhere, which triggers the question whether he paid turnover taxes.
Abraham never delivered the 1,000 sheets; Mariadal received only 80. When the foundation realized that Abraham had no intention to come up with the remaining 920 sheets it took action. When Abraham refused an amicable solution and when the intervention of a bailiff did not help either, Mariadal went to court, demanding repayment.
Abraham did not contest the claim of Mariadal. However, when asked about the dispute by local media he said that there was apparently an attempt to create a confusing impression for political objectives to possibly “blur” issues of public interest.
Abraham is since October of last year commissioner responsible for finance in the Executive Council of Bonaire.
According to koninkrijksrelaties.nl the dispute with Mariadal will not have political consequences. In 2018 Abraham was sentenced to prison for ill-treatment but that did not affect his political career either.
The article on koninkrijksrelaties.nl makes clear that Abraham is not alone. In 2020 more than one hundred mayors, aldermen and council members in the Netherlands became rather infamous for accusations varying from unacceptable behavior and conflict of interest to fraud and corruption. Most of these politicians stepped down even though there is not law in place that requires them to do so.
In the recent past the Supreme Court confirmed a conviction for election fraud against former Dutch parliamentarian Jos van Rey. In spite of this conviction he still holds office as an alderman in the city of Roermond.
