Damning Report Accuses Curaçao Politicians of Fraud, Embezzlement

A former executive of the MGA along with the current finance minister of Curaçao were named in a new report that condemned the island’s recently implemented gambling regulatory system.

Mario Galea, Javier Silvania Named in New Report

That is the case for Mario Galea, a former chief of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the current finance minister in Curaçao, Javier Silvania, who, along with other individuals were named in a damning report about the island’s gambling licensing system filed by a representative of an opposing political party. As announced by NEXT.io, the report spanned 400 pages and was filed by Dr. Luigi Faneyte, a member of the PAR Party in Curaçao.

The aforementioned report was filed with the Attorney General’s Office, accusing Silvania and Galea, along with other politicians of fraud, corruption and embezzlement. The damning report also pointed to “suspicions” of professional misconduct and money laundering, among other issues that stemmed from the changes to the country’s gambling licensing framework implemented last year.

“All in all, this is a matter of tens of millions and if this continues, it could amount to hundreds of millions in lost government funds, plus claims for damages against the government as a result of affected players taking legal action against our government,“

reads the report filed by Dr. Luigi Faneyte

Faneyte’s report claimed that under the new licensing system from November 2023, millions are at stake. Accusing the politicians of unlawful actions, the report claimed that the losses to the government may surpass hundreds of millions, while damage claims by players may further exacerbate the situation for Curaçao’s government.

Among other issues, the damning report raised questions on a recent hot topic, the licensing threat BC.Game is facing amid bankruptcy controversy. The troubled operator and popular crypto casino is the main sponsor of the famous football club, Leicester City.

Silvania Claims the Report Represents War Between the PAR and MFK

The appearance of the damning report comes during an interesting time and ahead of Curaçao’s upcoming elections planned for March next year. During the last elections, Faneyte’s PAR Party lost to Silvania’s MFK Party. It is yet to be seen whether the suspicions will grow into a large-scale investigation and whether or not the claims can be proven.

The announcement about the damning report caught the attention of Silvania. In a statement released via social media, he fired back at Faneyte calling the report and accusations “a war” between the PAR and MFK. Comparing the PAR and MFK, he said that this fight represents a war of “the rich against the poor.”

Silvania claimed that Faneyte’s report was only filed after others “instructed him.” He explained that prior to the changes of the licensing, four families ruled the online gambling sector under an outdated law from 1993 that gave them “exclusive permits for online gambling.” Silvania said those families made millions for years and after the model was broken by the MFK Party, the PAR is now opposing the change.