Geoffrey’s family confirms that their son does not know van der Sloot nor the Kalpoes
DIARIO Aruba
4/21/2006
ORANJESTAD (AAN): It was Thursday that the van Cromvoirt family reacted and stated openly that their son Geoffrey is not friends with any of the people who were previously detained in the Natalee Holloway investigation.
“The van Cromvoirt family distances itself completely from all expressions or declarations which bring Geoffrey van Cromvoirt in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and any statement in which any role is attributed to him in this case”, the family said in a statement issued in Dutch by his lawyer mr. Eline Lotter-Homan.
Further, the family demonstrated that Geoffrey wasn’t working for VCB Security at the end of May 2005 when Natalee disappeared.
But the prosecutor demonstrates clearly that his criminal offenses could have something to do with the disappearance of Natalee. However, there is still no report that has been divulged about the reason why this youngster was detained mid-day Saturday.
Aside from this, only yesterday was it known that the Aruba and Antilles Coast Guard are searching the sea around Aruba with sonar equipment. The search was conducted in secrecy. On Thursday however, the Coast Guard did not continue this search.
The bigger question is: did Geoffrey really meet Natalee that weekend in Aruba?
Previously, there were indications that the Mountain Brook High School kids now recognize his picture. But last Wednesday night on CNN, the mother, Beth Twitty indicated that she does not have any indication that this took place.
4.21.2006
‘The families Van Cromvoirt and Van der Sloot not friends’
Amigoe
4/20/2006
ARUBA – “The Van Cromvoirt family dissociate herself expressly from all the statements that associate Geoffrey van Cromvoirt to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway”, stated Eline Lotter Homan, lawyer of family Van Cromvoirt in a written press release. “Due to persistent speculations, it is advisable to rectify the many completely untrue propositions put forward”, was her reaction on the many questions she gets from the different media.
Lotter Homan says that it is impossible to react on all possible propositions that are going around. She also didn’t want to react as regards content on the current judicial preliminary investigation. She states furthermore in her press release that “the facts that are being described in this are not meant for a restrictive refutation.”
In May and June of last year, Van Cromvoirt hadn’t worked for the Visibility Team or VCB Video Camera Security Systems & Consultancy. The lawyer confirmed that the family Van Cromvoirt had not at all been interrogated in connection with the investigation on the disappearance of the American girl. Rumours about Joran van der Sloot and Van Cromvoirt being friends are heavily denied. “Geoffrey is not a friend of any of the earlier arrested persons in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and has also no other relationship with any of them.”
The lawyer indicated that VCB had not provided any security activities to the Holiday Inn in May and June of last year and neither up till today. The company had not installed any security cameras, neither did it manage any for the Holiday Inn nor any of the other hotels on the hotel-strip. Lotter Homan says that VCB didn’t have access to the security camera systems of the hotels on the strip. “The company had not interfered with any of them.”
Among points that van Cromvoirt’s attorney wants to clear up
Geoffrey was not employed for the Visibility Team (i.e. VCB) in the period of May – June 2005
Attorney Lotter-Homan corrected various erroneous rumours on the street about her client
Bon Dia Aruba
4/20/2006
ORANJESTAD – Yesterday still, the young G. v. Cromvoirt was detained related to the case of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Given that there has been quite a big amount of speculation from the moment of his detention, his lawyer Eline Lotter-Homan sent the following press release to refute any erroneous information that may be circulating on the street about her client and his family.
PERSISTENT SPECULATION
“Due to persistent speculation in the media, a press release is being sent to address the many incorrect statements. At the same time, it has to be said that it is difficult to address all of the baseless accusations. But at the same time, the facts mentioned in this release should not be perceived as a limitation of the explanation. At the same time, we will not go into details about the preliminary investigation. For this reason, the van Cromvoirt family distances itself categorically from all declarations about Geoffrey van Cromvoirt which could involve him in connection to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway or that give him a participative role (even if not active).
1. Geoffrey was not employed for the Visibility Team or VCB (Video
Camera Beveiligingssystemen & Consultancy N.V.) in the period of May – June 2005, nor did he have access to a uniform from the Visibility Team or VCB.
2. At no moment was the van Cromvoirt family previously heard related to the investigation of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.
3. Geoffrey is not friends with, and has no relation to the three persons previously arrested in a previous phase.
4. VCB was not procured for the security of the Holiday Inn Hotel in the period of May and June of 2005.
5. VCB, in the period of May and June 2005 until today, did not install security cameras or operate them in the hotel strip, nor at the Holiday Inn or any other hotel.
6. VCB, in the period of May and June of 2005 until today, did not have access to the hotel strip, nor the Holiday Inn or any other hotel that had security cameras, and did nothing to be guilty of any eventual manipulation thereof.
The fact that this [release] was sent in Dutch, means that any translation discrepancy is not the responsibility of the attorney."
This is the content of the press release of the attorney of the young detainee Geoffrey van Cromvoirt, Eline Lotter-Homan.
According to attorney Lotter-Homan
Geoffrey van Cromvoirt is not getting preferential treatment
DIARIO Aruba
4/20/2006
ORANJESTAD(AAN): As it’s well known, a new suspect has been detained in the case of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.
Saturday, Geoffrey van Cromvoirt was detained as the new suspect in the case of Natalee Holloway and had to appear in front of a judge commissioner Tuesday.
Normally the suspect is brought to court and there he is presented in front of a judge commissioner, for the latter to determine if the detention of the suspect is legal.
However, the press waited in vain for long hours in front of the court on Tuesday, because the suspect did not show up.
Afterwards, it came to light that the judge commissioner, who came from Curaçao for this case, went to the Noord police station, in order to determine if the suspect’s detention was legal.
This led to much speculation and questions on the street, where many people questioned the way the Public Prosecutor procedure.
It has to be said that because van Cromvoirt is Dutch, he is getting preferential treatment.
Van Cromvoirt’s attorney, mr. Lotter-Homan, told DIARIO that it’s not so that her client is getting preferential treatment.
According to the lawyer, the judge commissioner went to the Noord police station because his flight was delayed from Curaçao.
At the time when he was able to meet with van Cromvoirt and his lawyer, the court was closed.
At that time, the Public Prosecutor took the decision for the judge commissioner to go to the Noord police station where the suspect is being detained, to determine if his detention was legal.
So the attorney emphasized that it is not true that Geoffrey van Cromvoirt is obtaining preferential treatment.
Holloway-detainee also suspected of drug dealing
Amigoe
4/19/2006
ARUBA – On Tuesday afternoon, the Public Prosecutor (OM) confirmed that Geoffrey van Cromvoirt was arrested last Saturday in the current investigation on the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The only statement made by the OM in a press report is that Van Cromvoirt “is suspected of facts that can be related to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and drug dealing”.
The local as well as the international media were at the court-house waiting for Van Cromvoirt to be brought before the examining magistrate. Nobody knew at what exact time this would be and the OM had not said anything other than ‘he will be brought before the examining magistrate today’. This was enough reason for the international media to wait. FBI-profiler Clint Vanzandt called the arrest of crucial importance and said that he anticipates that this arrest would lead to a new clue in the Holloway-case.
An examining-magistrate from Curacao has extended the detention of Van Cromvoirt with 8 days. This was done in the presence of Van Cromvoirt’s lawyer Eline Lotter-Homan.
Arthur Dowers (AVP) made it clear that Aruba is not really waiting for a new round of negative information around the Holloway-case. “This case has a big effect on the tourism. New developments should be made public. We have to be transparent and open.” Joran van der Sloot’s father, Paul van der Sloot told the Associated Press that his son doesn’t know Van Cromvoirt. The Kalpoe’s lawyer Ronnie Wix indicated that he is not sure whether his clients know Van Cromvoirt. This is the first time that Van Cromvoirt has come in contact with justice.
4.19.2006
In the case of Natalee Holloway
19 year old detained on charges of murder complicity
Bon Dia Aruba
4/18/2006
O R A N J E S T A D – This weekend, police authorities detained a 19 year old by the initials of G.v.C., related to the case of the disappearance of the young American student, Natalee Holloway.
The first reports showed that the decision to detain the youngster was on the basis of certain indications that he could have information related to the disappearance of the young American student. The v.C. youngster was part of the Visibility Team, which on top of it, actively participated in the search for Natalee, while his father conducted the security system by means of recordings, in the areas around the big hotels.
Unofficial reports that Bon Dia has obtained show that the detention of the young man van Cromvoirt was prolonged already by 8 days yesterday, while today in all probability he will have to be presented in front of a Judge Commissioner related to his detention.
Other reports which were able to be collected about the detention of this new figure in the mysterious Holloway case, indicates that the detention of this youngster used the charges of article 302, which means premeditated murder, but also in conjunction with 50, which is complicity to commit premeditated murder and also in conjunction with 49, which is having information related to a premeditated murder but not divulging this to solve the case.
It is also Bon Dia Aruba’s understanding that his detention is also on the basis of article 300, which is for murder, in conjunction with 50, which is complicity by not giving information about a murder.
SPECTACLE
Once again, the detention of a new figure in the case of Natalee Holloway, has procured to start a new spectacle for the American media.
Various TV channels sent cameramen and reporters as of Sunday to Aruba to cover every development in this case, and this automatically means that there will be a series of incorrect information which will be sent to publication. As of yesterday they were talking of possible ‘forensic’ evidence from a uniform of the security company which was found many months back but this information is not based on fact.
Today, the same ‘upheaval’ there was previously during the appearance in front of a judge of the three youngsters – v/d Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers - can be expected.
How was he not brought in front of the judge as usual?
Geoffrey’s detention has to do with drug possession as well!
New suspect is represented by attorney mr. Eline Lotter-Homan
DIARIO Aruba
4/19/2006
ORANJESTAD(AAN): When any native son is detained, and has to be presented in front of the Judge Commissioner, according to the rules, the detained is brought to the Justice Building.
But what happened Tuesday? This was not the case. The new detainee in the Natalee’s case, Geoffrey van Cromvoirt, was not brought to the Court Building! Why? Because he is Dutch…because of this they want to protect him? This is what some people called and asked DIARIO. More than clear, the newspaper told them they better call and ask the Public Prosecutor.
Why did they not follow normal procedure in such a situation? If the case was that an Aruban was detained, would they not have brought him to the Court Building no matter what the cost?
Finally, in the afternoon hours, a Judge Commissioner went to the Noord police station, where the 19 year old detainee was presented. Here, the Judge Commissioner reviewed the detention formalities, and decided that the detention was conducted legally, and the prolongation of the detention for 8 days as asked by the prosecutor is valid.
When exiting, prosecutor mr. Karen Janssen had a smile on her face. This shows in a silent way that they are happy with the decision.
GEOFFREY’S ATTORNEY
Tuesday, in front of the Court, DIARIO interviewed attorney mr. Petrochi, who was the appointed lawyer when the new suspect in the Natalee Holloway case, Geoffrey van Cromvoirt, was detained.
DIARIO asked the attorney if he found out what exactly was the reason for van Cromvoirt’s detention; however, he said that he didn’t know the reason. He said that he is no longer the attorney of this suspect. He only attended to the first part of the detention.
Now, the case of van Cromvoirt is in the hands of another attorney. Attorney Petrochi could not confirm who was the new lawyer; however, DIARIO was able to find out that it was going to be mr. Eline Lotter-Homan who will represent van Cromvoirt in this case.
The 19 year old’s detention was prolonged; however van Cromvoirt had to appear in front of a Judge Commissioner Tuesday, to determine if the suspect’s detention was valid. This also went well.
In the meantime, reports continue to come in about this detention mystery. The Public Prosecution continues to maintain its silence, although once in a while they let something leak.
DRUG DEALING AS WELL
But the detail which surprised everyone the most is that Geoffrey is not only imprisoned due that he could have something to do with Natalee’s disappearance, but also that he was arrested on drug dealing accusations.
It is still not officially known how Geoffrey is connected to the disappearance. But the detailed revealed Tuesday in DIARIO related to the VCB Security t-shirt and forensic material on it, could be a strong indication.
On the other hand, the details given in terms of the drug matter and Geoffrey, has made local observers immediately think more deeply. They find that this new case ‘smells very strange’.
They explained to DIARIO that if a person is suspected of crimes related to drugs from any force, or investigative team, any drug case in Holland (DIARIO does not want to mention more) and he is detained…the official asks the Judge Commissioner to search the suspect’s house from top to bottom to find any substance that has to do with drugs.
His computer is opened and they take out the innards! In his room, they let dogs smell on top and below the bed to find out if they can at least find a seed, white substance, continue to every corner of the house in order to have evidence. All this to avoid that in the future this happens in the force, so that they not fail investigators again.
But here again, clearly they have committed a flagrant error! They invited Geoffrey to come to the station, where he was then detained. Those in charge of the investigation have to come to their conclusions and take their retirement, not today, but yesterday – along with all the wise people from the Public Prosecution, with the exception of ‘Tante Truus” [Aunt Truus].
His father was already questioned at the beginning of the case
Geoffrey van Cromvoirt detained as suspect in the case of the disappearance of Natalee
Perhaps a link to the case with uniform found in the Colony area near the sea
DIARIO Aruba
4/18/2006
ORANJESTAD(AAN): In the noon hours of this past Saturday, the Public Prosecutor acted and detained a new person in the case of the disappearance of the student Natalee Holloway.
However, it was only in the afternoon hours that this detention was leaked to the press, and it is time to know who it is.
The youngster worked at one time for the VCB Security Company, which is also in charge of the administration of the Visibility Team in Aruba.
It can still be recalled how in the month of June 2005, when the government gave half a day free to all its workers to search, that in the vicinity of the sea, close to an area where kite surfing is done, at the entrance of Colony, a uniform of VCB (Video Camara Beveiliging) was found.
At that time, they interrogated the director of this company who is the same person who is in charge of the whole camera system on the side of the big hotels, along with the Visibility Team.
This same director is the father of the youngster Geoffrey van Cromvoirt, 19 years of age (born in Holland), who was also working in his father’s company, VCB., after his sister, who also worked there, became a policewoman.
GEOFFREY WAS ‘FIRED’
DIARIO has information that Geoffrey van Cromvoirt was fired from his job because police did not want to work with him. Aside from this, Geoffrey is a good friend of Commissioner Gerold Dompig’s son, who also was working on the Visibility Team near the sea.
Both of them, according to colleagues, apparently were always talking about how they ‘had fun’ with female tourists who they met on the beach. They even said they liked to lie and say that they were police so that they could do illegal things.
Some months back, Commissioner Gerold Dompig’s son was ‘practically’ fired from the team. It is not known where Gerold Dompig’s son is working, but Geoffrey van Cromvoirt is working on the beach, near a water sports company. In other words, he is a ‘beach bum’.
Although there is no confirmation about what his role is in this case, it must be questioned if it starts with the link of the security t-shirt found on the coast near the entrance of the Colony neighbourhood. A lawyer said that on this cloth there is relevant forensic information.
The piece of clothing was a uniform similar to the one that Geoffrey himself used. More detentions can be expected in the case, although we have information that Geoffrey is not cooperating at all with authorities in this case.
On this photo of Geoffrey, from the DIARIO archives, he can be seen when his sister was sworn in as a policewoman in San Nicolas. He was standing behind his sister that day.
HIS ROLE IN THE INVESTIGATION
Many people are asking, but no one has found the answer. What do authorities really have on this youngster? There is speculation that this arrest came after the program Opsporing Verzocht passed and that it produced about 100 tips. The Public Prosecution, however, is not giving any details. They have apparently learned from experiences in the past.
Although there’s an indication that perhaps Geoffrey met Natalee before Sunday, May 29 of 2005, there are others that show that possibly he was detained as a pretext to extract information that he could have, related to the involvement of van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers.
Apart from this, still authorities still must know whose DNA was found on the toothbrush from the hotel bathroom. It was a male DNA.
In the meantime, the American and Dutch press have also paid attention to this new detention. Some are even questioning if this is a ‘show’, due to the fact that Dave Holloway’s book came out last week, containing grave accusations towards the Public Prosecution. It has even been said that when Natalee’s mother’s book comes out, that this will really sink Aruba.
CONNECTION WITH JORAN OR NOT?
Meanwhile, Joran’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, explained that his client does not know Geoffrey, although there are some details circulating to the contrary.
He indicated that they are happy that Geoffrey is an ‘unknown’ to them, and that it shows that authorities are really working on new tips and can find a solution to this.
Sunday morning, the American press started to flood the VCB Security Company with calls. In the noon hours, even their web site had been changed, where the company decided to remove a photo of Geoffrey which was on it. A photo of the father was also removed from VCB’s web site. There are even some who question if perhaps this company could have ‘manipulated’ videotapes from hotel security in van der Sloot’s favour. However, observers deny this speculation as baseless inventions.
Today, they will have to bring Geoffrey in front of the Judge Commissioner to decide If his detention will be prolonged or not. In the meantime, it is DIARIO’s understanding that Geoffrey’s interrogation continues. He is a person who is regularly seen on the side of the beach, and they have to verify if he indeed could have met with Natalee
Arrest in Holloway-case
Amigoe
4/18/2006
ARUBA – Last Saturday, the police has arrested the 19-year old Geoffrey van Cromvoirt in the case of the American student Natalee Holloway, who disappeared while vacationing in Aruba. Van Cromvoirt was taken before the examining magistrate today, but at the time this newspaper went to press, it was not known yet whether his detention was extended.
Was this arrest linked to tips received after the special transmission of Opsporing Verzocht last week Tuesday that devoted the program to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway nearly a year ago, on the final night of her high school graduation trip to Aruba? Van Cromvoirt works with the Visibility Team. His father owns a security service, VCB that works for some big hotels. The Public Prosecutor (OM) has confirmed the arrest, but was not prepared to disclose why the person was arrested. It can be that he withheld information, but it can also be that he was seen with the girl on the night of her disappearance. The international media has again arrived on the island with some camera crew to broadcast the newest developments worldwide.
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