In December 2020 a government communiqué was issued by the the office of former minister Andin Bikker, informing that Aruba would receive its Helicopter. The principal advisor at the time, lawyer Delo Gomes, was the key person at the time in the negotiations with the SADI company.
Attorney Delo Gomes was the person who advised the government at the time, to be precise of former Minister of Justice Andin Bikker. The link was made and within a year the control process was done so that after a year the contract was closed where he also earns his negotiation fee in addition to being the minister advisor at the time.
Today the lawyer Dello Gomes is no longer working with the government of Aruba, but is a lawyer for the company SADI and currently represents them as such.
The lease agreement is between the country of Aruba and ‘Sociedad Aerea de Ibague’ (SADI) and is signed by the CEO of the company, Mr. Sonia Lorena Restrepo, born in the Philippines. However, it should be noted that there was a public bidding involving 11 companies and the RFI participated 10 companies and all 11 companies involved in the public bidding were called.
The advisory committee evaluated according to its task and objective criteria. The main factors that the commission took into consideration for recommendations are the operating costs within budgetary limitations that had to be taken into account when looking at Aruba’s situation.
In 2020 the helicopter replaced the helicopter formerly in use by the Aruba Police Corps. It is a Bell 206L-3 helicopter that is a similar and newer model to the current Bell 206L-1.
Reintroducing the availability of a helicopter for the Police Corps in 2019, the aerial surveillance has been able to contribute substantially to border security and to our country in general, especially considering the unprecedented challenges of attempted illegal entry from the sea that our country has been facing due to the regional situation.
Given all the negative news that is circulating and creating a controversy and not bringing all the sides of the coin in publicity, coming Thursday the actual minister of Justice Rocco Tjon will be in the parliament to inform the parliament of this case and will bring all the contracts and documents.
The negotiation of the Helicopter was not in the hands of the current minister of justice, but the decisions that were taken at the time were those of the commission established by the lawyer Dello Gomes who was the advisor of the former minister of justice Andin Bikker at the time and is now himself a lawyer of the company SADI and today a pilot employee together with lawyer Gomes attended, is in a negative light with the transportation of cocaine and thus brought Aruba also in a negative light.
It is hoped that in the parliament they will be able to bring some clarity to this and that they will be able to say that they are aware that are independent parliamentarians who have asked questions on this part.
