Court annuls suspension of Arubahuis director

ORANJESTAD — The Court of First Instance of Aruba has annulled the March 17, 2026 decision to suspend Joselin S. Croes as director of the Office of Aruba’s Minister Plenipotentiary in the Netherlands, known as Arubahuis. In its September 21 ruling, the court found that the decision had not been prepared with sufficient care and that the government had not given concrete reasons why the suspension was necessary.

Croes was appointed director through December 1, 2028. The government suspended her effective March 18, 2026, pending a decision on a possible disciplinary sanction. The suspension followed a ban on her entering Arubahuis in December 2025 as part of an internal investigation.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

According to the government, a preliminary investigation by the Human Resources Department raised concerns about financial management, the organization’s operations, personnel matters and the handling of documents, among other issues. Croes challenged the grounds for her suspension and argued that she had not been given a proper opportunity to respond to the allegations.

COURT SIDES WITH CROES

The court agreed with Croes on that point. Given her senior position, the government should have heard her account before suspending her, the judge said. The court also found the government’s explanation of the alleged misconduct insufficient and its examination of the facts too one-sided to establish a concrete suspicion of serious misconduct.

The ruling further states that no additional investigation of the facts took place during the suspension. Nor did the government demonstrate a current need to maintain the measure, particularly since Croes had already stopped performing her duties before it was imposed.

The court annulled the suspension decision and ordered the government to pay Afl. 2,100 in legal costs. It rejected Croes’s separate request for an interim measure because the annulment made that request unnecessary.

The ruling concerns the legality of the suspension decision. It does not determine whether Croes committed the disciplinary offences alleged by the government. Croes was represented by attorney Ronny Wix. Both parties may appeal the decision on her objection.