WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO:---  The long-running Ennia financial scandal has re-emerged in the legal spotlight. Following the recent passing of Hushang Ansary, the central figure in the controversy, the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS) is intensifying efforts to ensure responsible parties face criminal prosecution.

According to reports from the Antilliaans Dagblad, the CBCS has initiated an Article 15 criminal procedure. This legal mechanism is designed to compel the Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) to proceed with prosecution through an order from the Court of Justice.

Both the CBCS and the Prosecutor General's office have confirmed this development. While a hearing date for the complaint has not yet been set, it is expected to be scheduled soon.

A Timeline of Delays

The push for action comes nearly eight years after the initial criminal complaints were filed. The first report of criminal offenses regarding Ennia was lodged in June 2018, with a supplementary report filed in August 2019. Despite the passage of time, no criminal charges have materialized from the investigation thus far.

In a statement responding to press inquiries, a corporate communications officer for the Central Bank clarified the timeline of their recent legal maneuvering.

"On July 9, 2025, the CBCS submitted a complaint under Article 15 of the Code of Criminal Procedure regarding the failure to prosecute criminal offenses concerning Ennia," the officer stated. "Through this complaint, the CBCS has objected to the fact that the criminal investigation instituted by the Public Prosecutor's Office has not yet led to the criminal prosecution of the persons responsible for the relevant criminal offenses."

The Central Bank has requested the Common Court of Justice to order that prosecution be instituted. The complaint is currently pending, with a ruling from the Court awaited.

Impact of Ansary's Death

The legal landscape shifted in early January with the death of the 98-year-old Iranian-American businessman Hushang Ansary. While prosecution is no longer applicable to him personally, the Article 15 procedure signals the Central Bank’s determination to hold other involved parties accountable for the alleged mismanagement and financial irregularities that plagued the insurance giant.

The upcoming court decision on the CBCS complaint will be a pivotal moment in determining whether the criminal aspect of the Ennia debacle will finally move forward after years of stagnation.

PHILIPSBURG:--- JCI Dutch Caribbean National President Anjeanee Mathew has successfully concluded her participation in the JCI National Presidents’ Meeting held in Mexico City from January 29–31, joining fellow JCI leaders from across the Americas for strategic dialogue, collaboration, and leadership development.
The high-level meeting provided a dynamic platform to exchange insights, share best practices, and gain fresh perspectives on advancing JCI’s mission at both the national and local levels. A key highlight was the opportunity to align this year’s priorities with the vision of Alejandra Castillo, the 2026 JCI World President, ensuring cohesive direction and regional synergy going forward.
Armed with renewed knowledge and motivation, National President Mathew will lead efforts to share these insights with the National Board and Local Presidents. This knowledge-sharing initiative aims to build strong momentum from the first quarter and drive an impactful year focused on measurable results, leadership development, and community impact.
As the organization looks ahead, JCI Dutch Caribbean remains committed to unity and collaboration under the banner of One Dutch Caribbean, One America, One JCI, while continuing to Ignite Our Lights and empower young leaders throughout the region.

PHILIPSBURG:---- In line with the continued development of the organization on Sint Maarten, SOAB announces that Saskia N. Salomons was appointed Director of SOAB Sint Maarten, effective 1 January 2026.
This appointment forms part of the organization’s strategic direction, focused on continuity, strong leadership, and the further professionalization of its operations on Sint Maarten. During her tenure as Country Manager, she demonstrated consistent leadership, professionalism, and a collaborative approach rooted in integrity and accountability.
As Director, she is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of SOAB Sint Maarten, with continued emphasis on quality, transparency, and the effective execution of the organization’s mandate.
SOAB is confident that under her leadership, the organization will continue to serve as a reliable and professional partner to its stakeholders on Sint Maarten.

by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert

Technology is accelerating, traveler expectations are shifting. The Caribbean is at a crossroads. By combining AI with Behavioral Psychology, one gains something powerful: the ability to design systems around how people actually behave, not how it is assumed they behave. In governance, that means services that build trust. In tourism, it means experiences shaped by emotion and culture. In air transportation, it means understanding the Caribbean traveler and strengthening route viability. Together, these insights form a unified intelligence strategy that makes our region more trusted, more competitive, and more connected. This isn’t just modernization; Caribbean transformation, powered by data, guided by psychology, and anchored in culture, is a new blueprint.

The Caribbean is being reshaped by forces larger than any one island: technology, climate, global mobility, and the rising expectations of its people and its visitors. But the truth is simple: the future of the Caribbean will not be built by technology alone. It will be built by understanding people. That is where AI and Behavioral Psychology come together, as tools for designing a Caribbean that is more trusted, more competitive, and more connected. A model built specifically for the region could be called: “the Caribbean Human‑Centered Intelligence Framework”. It unites three pillars of development, governance, tourism, and air transportation, into one human‑focused strategy.

1. Governance: Trust through adaptive intelligence. AI helps to see patterns in how citizens use services, where frustration builds, and what communities need before they ask. Behavioral psychology explains why people behave the way they do, why they avoid certain processes, why trust rises or falls, why some messages resonate, and others don’t. When combining the two, one gets predictive governance with services designed around real human behavior. Policies are tested before launch. And communication is shaped by culture, not bureaucracy

2. Tourism: Experiences move people. Tourism is the region’s global identity. AI can now map what travelers search for, what inspires them, and what makes them choose one island over another. Behavioral psychology explains why scarcity drives bookings, why authenticity matters, and why diaspora travelers respond to identity cues. Together, they allow us to design emotion‑driven tourism. The Caribbean can lead the world in tourism powered by culture and guided by behavioral insights.

3. Air Transportation: Understanding the Caribbean Traveler. Air transport is the region’s bloodstream. AI can analyze passenger flows, booking patterns, and stress points in the airport journey. Behavioral psychology explains why reliability matters more than price, why respect shapes loyalty, and why symbolic gestures — like first‑flight ceremonies- matter in our region. Together, they create passenger‑centered aviation and build a more connected Caribbean.

The real power emerges when all three sectors are connected. Governments, tourism boards, airports, and airlines all serve people, and people behave in patterns that can be understood, predicted, and shaped.

A unified Caribbean intelligence system would enable the anticipation of visitor flows and the improvement of route viability. This is not just modernization but rather Caribbean transformation. The question is no longer whether AI will shape the Caribbean. The question is whether AI is shaped to serve the Caribbean. If one combines data with culture, technology with behavioral psychology, one can build a region that is not only smarter but also stronger.