WILLEMSTAD - Eduard Braam should not be appointed Minister of Justice because of a conviction in 2002. This was ruled by the judge in the case filed by the Member of Parliament for the coalition party MFK against the Curaçao country.
Braam was discredited due to a conviction for a sex offense. He had a secret encounter with an ex-patient who was minor about twenty years ago. He was convicted but never really got any punishment.
The MP was asked by formateur Gilmar Pisas last summer to become a minister of justice. Braam heard during a conversation with Governor Lucille George-Wout that he cannot become a minister because of the previous conviction. He decided to withdraw, even before he could be officially nominated.
Braam still wanted to make himself available for the position of Minister of Justice and filed a lawsuit against the state. According to Braam, he has never been convicted within the meaning of the National Ordinance Integrity (Candidate) Ministers.
The case revolved around the question of whether the conviction from 2002 may prevent the MFK member to be appointed as minister. The judge answered that question in the affirmative and ruled that a minister cannot be convicted of a crime. The court saw no reason to rule differently in the case of Braam.