KRALENDIJK- Commissioner Hennyson Thielman sees nothing wrong with the many Assignment Agreements (OVO, for Overeenkomst van Opdracht in Dutch) that the BC has concluded with temporary workers.

This is what Thielman says in response to questions from Bonaire.nu, in response to a letter circulating in the media from a ‘whistle-blower’. The letter claims that large sums of money are being spent on various hired consultants. “Whistle-blowers within the Public Entity Bonaire are very concerned about the integrity problems in the office of Commissioner Hennyson Thielman (MPB). For several years now, Thielman has been paying MPB members, some of whom are even on the candidate list, for unclear work, sometimes more than 1000,000 euros per year,” the anonymous letter begins.

Thielman does not recognize himself in the accusation and points to the heated political campaign. “Not only is this nothing new, but the creation of OVOs takes place without the representatives of the deputies”. According to Thielman, both the hiring of temporary workers at a certain level is done by the directors, and not by the Commissioners. Agreements about the amount of the compensation would also not be made directly by the Commissioners. In addition, according to Thielman, every OVO must pass the desk of the Kingdom Representative before the agreement can be entered into.

Nothing new

Thielman also notes that this is not about anything new. “This has been common practice within the device for many years, that an Assignment Agreement is entered into with certain people and not an employment contract. Nor is it something this Executive Council invented. In addition, OVOs have just as well been entered into with people of a different political color and certainly not just people who are affiliated with the current ExCo”.