Philipsburg:--- With the arrest and release of two persons in the Piranha investigation, it is still unclear how investigators are proceeding with the case. Some two weeks ago the owner of Global Advisory Services Roberto Gibbs was arrested on charges of embezzlement, money laundering, and fraud.
The businessman who is also the co-manager and financial administrator for WINAIR was released by the judge of instruction when the prosecutor sought to have his pre-trial detention extended. Shortly after the release of Gibbs, the Landsrecherche along with the Prosecutor's Office arrested former Finance Minister Hiro Shigemoto for embezzlement, fraud, and for not following government rules. According to Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos in previous statements, Global Advisory was paid double for the services they provided to the government of St. Maarten, the case they said started since 2009. It should be noted that in 2010 the former director of finance Bas Roorda turned over stacks of documents and digital information to the Prosecutor's Office showing irregularities with government finances.
When the former finance Minister Hiro Shigemoto was taken before the judge of instruction last Thursday the Prosecutor's Office did not ask the Judge of Instruction for a full eight day extension as they would have done with every other suspect. The Prosecutor's Office in this case compromised by asking the Judge of Instruction to allow them to hold the former Minister for further questioning until December 24th, 2012 at 3pm. Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos said in a previous statement that the request to the judge of instruction had conditions such as the former Minister would have to report to police whenever he is called in for questioning. Shigemoto was required to hand over his passport to the Prosecutor's office pending the outcome of the investigation. It should be noted that if the prosecutor had solid evidence against the former Minister of Finance there would have been no need to compromise and neither would there be any fear that the judge of instruction would have released the former Minister who is a diabetic and hypertension patient. Based on the Dutch criminal law, the prosecutor's office will have to provide new facts and new evidence against Shigemoto or any other suspect that was released from pre-trial detention before they can be arrested again.
SMN News wrote an article last week outlining some of the irregularities that were observed during the pre-trial detention hearing, we stated that Shigemoto was given class justice and even wondered if this was because his father in law is the Minister of Justice on St. Maarten.
SMN News contacted Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos on Friday for an update on the Piranha investigation and Mos said that there are still some things to be investigated. After that they will have the final report made up. The prosecutor will then study the case and decide on how to proceed. When he was asked if more arrests were expected, Mos said he will not divulge that information. Upon further questioning by SMN News regarding the Piranha investigation and the alleged crimes Bas Roorda said former head of the Tourist Bureau Regina Labega committed, Mos said the two cases are not linked.