When Power Gets Comfortable: The People vs Guillfred Besaril
Case #: P-2024/00395
In public service, the boundary between personal comfort and public duty should be crystal clear. But as we’ve seen repeatedly in Aruba, clarity doesn’t always guarantee compliance.
Last week, the Gerecht in Eerste Aanleg van Aruba delivered a notable decision against Guillfred F. Besaril, the former Gevolmachtigde Minister of Aruba in the Netherlands. The verdict? Guilty on multiple counts of ambtelijke verduistering, or embezzlement by a public official, and misbruik van functie, abuse of office. The court’s 13 June 2025 ruling wasn’t just a legal outcome; it was a mirror held up to our institutions. And the reflection wasn’t flattering.
Misusing the Mandate
Between 2017 and 2022, Besaril treated public funds as if they were a personal account. He billed the state for private telecom bills, home renovations, alarm systems, vacations in Aruba, and personal spending during official travel. The total he was ordered to repay? Afl. 138,688.73.
This wasn’t murky territory. It was sustained and deliberate. The court found no policy, regulation, or exception that justified the spending.
So the question is, how did he come to believe this was acceptable?
Was there a nod from above? Did he assume he had the blessing of the prime minister to operate with this level of discretion? Or maybe he fancied himself a self-made corporate-style figure with all the trappings, endless perks, unlimited latitude, and no one to answer to.
That mindset is the problem. Somewhere along the way, a public servant forgot that public money isn’t a reward, and that holding office doesn’t come with a personal expense account.
What Did He Spend?
To understand the full scope of the misconduct, it helps to see the numbers. The prosecution initially claimed Besaril had abused Afl. 197,520.45. But the court, after a detailed review, determined that Afl. 138,688.73 was linked to unlawful personal use. The rest, while questionable, lacked sufficient proof or fell into ambiguous categories.
Power, Decency, and the Vanishing Line
This is where the political culture comes into sharper focus. Somewhere along the way, we have created an environment where ministers seem to believe that office entitles them to more than salary and duty. Perks become expectations. Oversight becomes optional. It’s not just about what a politician can get away with, but what they think they’re owed. That’s the deeper rot. And it’s not unique to Besaril. When ministers start acting like executives, and state budgets start feeling like private accounts, it’s only a matter of time before the line between service and self-interest disappears entirely. The fact that so few people inside government called it out at the time tells us this wasn’t just an individual failing. It was cultural permission. It bears repeating – these officials were elected to serve the public, to serve the greater good, not to enrich themselves.
This wasn’t just any minister. Besaril was once a police officer, a man who knew exactly where the line of legality stood. That makes his actions even more challenging to ignore. He didn’t drift into this. He marched right in, fully aware, acting with the confidence of someone who believed rules were for others.
It’s a reminder that public office doesn’t automatically create character. Sometimes, it reveals its absence.
A Culture of Shrugging
The most jarring part of this entire episode isn’t the judgment itself, but rather the reaction – or lack thereof.
There’s no outrage. No political reckoning. No meaningful statement from his party or the sitting government. Just a collective shrug.
Is it fatigue? Indifference? A tribal reflex to protect one of your own? Hard to say. But the silence speaks volumes.
Silence in High Places
Which leads to the next question. What did the then-Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes know? Was there any oversight of the Arubahuis? Did anyone inside the government raise alarms? Yes, someone else was convicted as well, but why did the system of checks and balances and accountability not catch this earlier?
So far, no answers. And not many people are asking.
But let’s be clear. Accountability isn’t a press release. It’s leadership that acts when the cameras are off. It’s systems that flag problems before the courts do. If this is how we handle wrongdoing in our highest offices, what signal does that send to every civil servant and civilian watching?
The Real Cost
Yes, the court ordered Besaril to repay Afl. 138,688.73. But the actual cost? That’s harder to measure. It’s the loss of trust, the weakening of institutional credibility, and the normalization of silence where integrity should be.
It wasn’t just one man. It was about a system that let it happen, and a political culture that hasn’t yet figured out what to do when one of its members crosses the line.
What Comes Next
What we need is a public sector that treats power as a responsibility, not a reward. A political culture where ministers hold themselves to a higher standard, not one where they expect blind loyalty. And a political class willing to call out its own, especially when it’s uncomfortable.
But here’s something that still doesn’t add up. Who was approving these expenses? How do you run up a tab of nearly 140,000 florins over five years, on internet bills, alarms, hotel rooms, furniture, and not trigger red flags? What kind of system lets that happen under the radar?
Because it wasn’t hidden, these weren’t disguised transactions or shady envelopes. These were invoices, payments, and credit card charges – a long paper trail. All processed under someone’s watch. So we have to ask, is the real problem just one man, or is it the machinery that enabled him?
This week, Aruba’s justice system did its job. Whether the political system is ready to do the same remains to be seen.
See you next week. And don’t forget to visit www.lincolngomez.com where all my blogs and podcasts are now collected.
And if Besaril’s still sleeping well at night, he’s probably not losing sleep over the verdict, just the perks and “his expense account”.
