WILLEMSTAD - Gino Campbell resigns as manager of the Gaming Control Board. He is leaving without severance pay for the time being. That was determined by the judge in the First Instance.
Campbell joined the company in 2011 on the recommendation of then Minister of Finance George Jamaloodin. Together with Luigi dos Santos, the brother of lottery boss Robbie dos Santos.
The reasons for and behind Campbell's sudden departure as director are not entirely clear. The verdict shows that the Gaming Control Board wanted to continue with Campbell, but that the Minister of Finance, Kenneth Gijsbertha, ended this last year.
Campbell demanded large sums to accept his resignation. For example, the GCB would have to pay at least four times a monthly salary of almost 20,000 guilders, as well as - in the alternative - an amount of almost 530,000 guilders due to unreasonable dismissal, severance pay and unused vacation days. In addition, the GCB would still have to supplement the pension due to overdue premium payments.
According to Campbell, the dismissal is unlawful because he had an employment contract as general manager until that dismissal.
But according to the judge, that is not correct because he was appointed as general director and member of the Board of Directors in 2014. The articles of association rule out that this position may be characterized as an employment contract.
Campbell declared himself a director and member of the Board of Directors, but now says he was never formally appointed.
"An opportunist argument," said Judge Kimberly Lasten, "now that Gino Campbell has always behaved as a director and has never raised the alarm before with his now-expressed doubts about his appointment. Gino Campbell does this only after the legal relationship with him is terminated."
Regarding the claimed four months' salary as severance payment, Campbell can continue to litigate before the civil service judge.