Curaçao: Financial authority denies CGA is under investigation
The Financial Supervision Board of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (Cft) backtracked and corrected its statement that the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) was being investigated by the Public Prosecutor's Office. The correction came after a formal clarification from the Minister of Finance, Charles Cooper, who, together with the Minister of Justice, Shalten Hato, received direct confirmation from the CGA that no investigation is underway.
In a letter dated December 3, the president of the Cft, L. M. C. Ongering, thanked Cooper for the clarification and admitted that the body should have limited itself to mentioning only investigations confirmed through official channels. “In hindsight, we agree that it would have been better to refer only to verified investigations. We will ensure this is the case going forward,” she stated.
A report that sparked confusion
The controversy arose after a letter sent by the Cft to Cooper on November 27, which mistakenly mentioned that the CGA was being investigated. The minister described the document as “incorrect, unfounded, and extraordinarily careless.”
The CGA itself quickly denied the claim and stated that “it has not been contacted by the Public Prosecutor's Office and has no knowledge of any investigation.”
The CGA welcomes the correction
Following the public clarification, the CGA emphasized that the episode highlights the risks of spreading claims based on rumors. Cedric Pietersz, managing director of the regulator, said: “The complete removal of those claims confirms what was obvious from the start: they were unfounded and should never have been issued in an official context. We appreciate the Cft’s decision to correct the record, ensuring that public information is based on verifiable facts and not speculation.”
The body reiterated its commitment to continue implementing the National Gaming Ordinance (LoK) together with the Ministry of Justice, amid the ongoing reform of the gaming regulatory framework in Curaçao.
Tags: Curacao, CGA, CFT, Curacao license, Curacao casino license