WILLEMSTAD - In an unmistakable letter to formateur Chester Peterson, former employees of CBA Television open the attack on candidate minister Ramon Chong. Their message is clear: "With a criminal record, outstanding debts at SVB (Social Insurance Bank), tax authorities, landlords and employees, Chong cannot become a minister."
Ramon Chong was recently pushed forward by political party PNP for a post in the new Pisas cabinet. He is chairman of the PNP, an official at the Ministry of Economic Development, but also owned the TV station CBA Television.
And it's the former CBA employees - journalists, presenters, cameramen and technicians - who are now sounding the alarm. In an urgent letter to formateur Chester Peterson, they convey "their concerns". "The people of Curaçao must know who they are dealing with." And they use strong language for that.
“As a formateur, you are responsible for a government with honest ministers. Mr. Chong has made many blunders during his career, including his conviction for corruption as a commissioner. For that reason alone, Mr. Chong cannot and must not become a minister.” But the letter writers call "the debacle" at CBA Television the hit.
"Chong owned the TV station, but made sure that he was not formally liable through legal constructions and front men." According to former CBA employees, the TV station went downhill under Chong in 2019, after which the household effects were auctioned by the tax authorities.
“The stories of CBA Television employees are poignant. To date, there have been employees with debts, attachments and even those whose houses have been auctioned by the bank. In any case, it is clear that Chong has high debts outstanding at SVB and the Tax and Customs Administration that will in any case have to be paid if he wants to have a chance to become a minister at all.”
The letter writers indicate that they have not released anything about this in the past two years, assuming that Chong would eventually take his responsibility. “Nothing could be further from the truth”, they write. “Now that it is known that Chong, who only thinks about his own gain and has caused many problems and has made some debts, is going to fill a ministerial post, we can no longer remain silent. The people of Curaçao need to know who they are dealing with.”