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Pagina 22 Diamars 21 Maart 2017
The cell phones were infected with porn.
Then the Panama Papers exposed a bribery
scheme, this company says
A passport photo of Egbert In addition, some of the phones Setar fired him last August. But could be shielded from Setar’s
Koolman, taken from the Panama bought by Koolman were faulty far from openly enjoying the fruits executives. Between 2005 and
Papers database. The Panama and included built-in “pornography of his alleged corruption, Koolman 2016, “Koolman repeatedly and
Papers exposed an alleged applications,” much to the now lives in a modest home in systematically abused his position
scam perpetrated by Egbert embarrassment of his employer, working-class Hialeah. No Florida with Setar by manipulating the
Koolman (top right) and his ex- the lawsuit states. Setar only properties or companies are procurement process to steer
wife Evarina Koolman (bottom discovered the suspected fraud registered in his name. Koolman business to his co-conspirators,”
right). The scheme stretched when Koolman’s name popped did not respond to a message the suit said. The vendors “would
from the Caribbean island of up in a list of offshore company left Friday at his Hialeah home, reward Koolman and others with
Aruba (bottom left) to the offshore owners published online as part which he shares with a female millions of dollars in kickbacks”
banking haven of Panama City of the Panama Papers exposé, companion. He has not yet in exchange for “ill-gotten
(center) and included an offshore according to the suit. The leak retained an attorney, federal court purchase contracts on mobile
company set up by controversial of 11.5 million secret documents records show. Setar’s attorney phone equipment.” It is unclear
law firm Mossack Fonseca. The from Panama-based law firm credited the Panama Papers with how much Koolman profited from
modest home in Hialeah where Mossack Fonseca laid bare a outing the former Setar products the alleged corruption scheme,
Egbert Koolman, the alleged parallel offshore financial system manager. “The strong evidence but the suit says he spent tens
master-mind of a multi-million accessible only to the rich and in this case indicates that Mr. of thousands of dollars on
dollar fraud in Aruba, now lives. well-connected — one that is Koolman, along with his many improvements to his home in
A passport photo of Egbert shockingly easy for fraudsters to co-conspirators, bilked our client Aruba. Among the expenses:
Koolman, taken from the Panama abuse, anti-corruption experts — and really the Aruban people $15,000 on pool renovations;
Papers database. The Panama say. — out of millions of dollars for $10,000 in solar panels; $10,000
Papers exposed an alleged more than a decade,” said Setar’s in home appliances and furniture;
scam perpetrated by Egbert Offshore corporations: The secret Miami-based attorney, Benton and the purchase of a $10,000
Koolman (top right) and his ex- shell game: Offshore corporations Curtis, with the law firm Broad and pickup truck for his son. Koolman
wife Evarina Koolman (bottom have one main purpose - to Cassel. “This should be a clear bought the goods in Miami,
right). The scheme stretched create anonymity. Recently call to corporations operating in where he regularly traveled, and
from the Caribbean island of leaked documents reveal that these regions [South Florida to shipped them through Setar's
Aruba (bottom left) to the offshore some of these shell companies, the Caribbean and Latin America] freight-forwarding vendors in
banking haven of Panama City cloaked in secrecy, provide cover to take a much harder look at their South Florida. $15,000 Amount
(center) and included an offshore for dictators, politicians and tax records and institutional controls allegedly spent by Egbert
company set up by controversial evaders. so that they too are not victimized Koolman on pool renovations.
law firm Mossack Fonseca. by cavalier employees,” Curtis After Koolman’s name surfaced
Sohail Al-Jamea and Ali Rizvi said. “Amazingly, were it not in the Panama Papers, Setar
The release of the Panama McClatchy- And documents for the recent Panama Papers managers confronted Koolman
included in the Panama Papers disclosure, this illicit conduct could and conducted an internal audit,
Papers exposed an elaborate database — shared by the have continued on unchecked leading to his firing.
International Consortium of indefinitely.”
kickback scheme whose tentacles Investigative Journalists with Setar’s Miami-based attorney
the Miami Herald and its parent The alleged scam: Over the past said Koolman did not come clean.
spread from the Caribbean island company, McClatchy — show decade, Koolman is accused of
Koolman set up an anonymous collaborating with his ex-wife, a “He gave varying stories
of Aruba to warehouses in Doral offshore company in the British mistress and a handful of South depending on whom he was talking
Virgin Islands and used it to open Florida vendors to purchase to in the company,” said Curtis, a
to the offshore banking haven two bank accounts in Panama. cell phone products for Setar former prosecutor with the Justice
The lawsuit accuses Koolman of at prices 20 percent higher Department. “But as far as the
of Panama City, according to routing the stolen money through than competitive market rates, executives in the company were
his offshore firm and spending it according to the suit filed this concerned, they believed he was
a lawsuit filed in Miami federal on renovations for his house in month. In many instances, the not telling the truth about certain
Aruba, including pool repairs and phones were refurbished — not material facts.” Setar’s suit is
court. The scam was allegedly solar panels. Other funds were new — and infected with viruses likely to catch the attention of
used to buy his son a pickup truck and malware, the suit claims. The Justice Department prosecutors
hatched by Egbert Koolman, and pay rent and other expenses complaint reads like a criminal specializing in Foreign Corrupt
for his former mistress, the lawsuit indictment, accusing Koolman Practices Act investigations. The
an employee of Aruba’s state- claims. and the others of operating complaint’s kickback allegations
like a “racketeering enterprise.” are similar to those raised in the
owned telecommunications AMAZINGLY, WERE IT NOT FOR It accuses him of hiding the criminal prosecutions of eight
THE RECENT PANAMA PAPERS alleged scam from his superiors defendants named in the so-
provider, Setar. Koolman’s job DISCLOSURE, THIS ILLICIT by plotting with the Miami- called Haiti Teleco investigation
CONDUCT COULD HAVE based vendors to set up “a web launched after former Haitian
was to buy phones from suppliers CONTINUED ON UNCHECKED of secretly related companies” President Jean-Bertrand Aristide
INDEFINITELY. under the names of elderly family was forced to leave office in
around the world for Setar members and children so they
Benton Curtis, Setar attorney Continuacion pagina 23
to sell to consumers. But his
former company says Koolman
defrauded the firm of “tens of
millions” of dollars by accepting
kickbacks from South Florida-
based mobile phone suppliers
that were awarded contracts
at inflated prices. Now Setar is
suing Koolman, his ex-wife and
the company’s former suppliers
for millions in damages, asserting
bribery, bid-rigging, fraud and
racketeering violations.
