ORANJESTAD, Aruba – De Meza Tax Case Settlement has brought the criminal case against M.E. de Meza and his wife to a definitive end after both suspects accepted and paid a settlement offered by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the payment means that both suspects will no longer face criminal prosecution in the case. The summonses that had been issued for an upcoming court hearing were withdrawn after the settlement conditions were fulfilled.
The couple had been suspected of violating Article 68, first paragraph, subsection a, in conjunction with the second paragraph of the Algemene Landsverordening Belastingen.
According to prosecutors, the alleged violations concerned the submission of incorrect and incomplete information in income tax declarations on multiple occasions between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2021.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office said the first TOM hearing, or meeting with the prosecutor, took place on June 10, 2026. During that meeting, prosecutors presented the suspects with an opportunity to avoid criminal prosecution by paying a financial settlement.
The offer was made on the basis of the prosecutor’s position that the case could be proven.
At that stage, however, the suspects did not accept the settlement proposal.
As a result, both were subsequently summoned to appear before the Court of First Instance on August 24, 2026.
The case later took a different turn when the suspects requested a second meeting with the prosecutor.
That second TOM hearing took place on August 7, 2026. During the meeting, the Public Prosecutor’s Office offered a lower settlement amount after taking into account the specific circumstances of both the case and the individuals involved.
The suspects accepted the revised offer.
The required payment was completed on August 11, 2026, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
With the payment completed, the De Meza Tax Case Settlement became final and the criminal proceedings were formally concluded.
The prosecutor then withdrew both summonses, meaning the scheduled court appearance on August 24 will no longer take place.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office described the matter as definitively closed following fulfillment of the settlement agreement.
A settlement of this type allows a criminal case to be resolved without continuing to a full prosecution before the court, provided the suspect accepts the terms offered by prosecutors and complies with the required payment.
In this case, the first proposed settlement was rejected, but the second proposal was accepted after prosecutors reassessed the amount based on the circumstances involved.
The original report does not specify the amount of the first settlement offer or the reduced amount ultimately accepted and paid by the suspects.
It also does not provide further details regarding the exact tax declarations at issue or the total financial amount involved in the alleged incorrect or incomplete filings.
The De Meza Tax Case Settlement therefore closes the criminal aspect of the matter without a trial or court judgment on the underlying allegations.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, no further criminal prosecution will take place in connection with the case now that the agreed settlement has been paid and the summonses withdrawn.
