PHILIPSBURG: ---"Despite the outcome of this case your honor I want the prosecutor to know that I know that he knows I am no criminal and St. Maarten know that too.Yet an arrest team of seven people came to arrest me, as if I am a serial killer. All my good work went down the drain because somebody thinks that I collect money for work permits.
I cannot understand why I am in this courtroom and why I am charged with employing an illegal when I do not own a business" were the last words former Commissioner of Culture Louis Laveist said to the judge Smid and Prosecutor Martin Hemlaar at the conclusion of his trial yesterday. Laviest in his plea for an acquittal said he was not brought up to be a thief and if his ailing mother knows what he is going through would definitely send her to her grave. Laveist said his family had to make sure his mother does not get her hands on a newspaper neither can she listens to the radio and television
He further stated that he served two terms as a parliamentarian and wrote the law on human smuggling and under no circumstance he would break the laws on immigration.
The statements caused several members of the Laveist family who formed part of the packed courtroom to break down in tears. Outside the courtroom Laveist was seen counseling his sisters and reminding them they needed to have faith as they prepare to face the flashing cameras outside the courthouse.
The prosecution slapped a total of five charges on Laveist they are two counts of fraud, one count of forgery, one count of bribery and one count of breaking the labor law by employing "Sammy" the barber illegally.
Prosecutor Mr. Martin Hemelaar demanded a 24 months prison sentence against Laveist. Six months of the demand is suspended. Judge Smid will announce his sentence on Tuesday April 28.
During a taped phone conversation between Laveist and Sammy the barber it is said Laveist referred to the barber shop as his barber shop, He responded by saying he also would say his bank and his dentist as a way of speaking. Laveist said Sammy is his friend and several people would call him when they are picked up by immigration thinking he can assist them, but this is a total misconception since he never granted any favors to anyone. Laveist actually swore saying no one ever paid him for working documents even though he was the labor commissioner.
The prosecution claimed Laviest defraud AMFO Naf 22,750 which was transferred to the Culture Club Foundation that was to be used for the celebration of Flag Day. Prosecutor Martin Hemlaar said all of the monies were not used for the Flag Day celebration since some Naf5000 was transferred to Laveist personal credit card account. Monies were also used to pay Clara Reyes, Ruby Bute as well as Tanny and the Boys and the sculpture. 
In answering the judge Laviest said on several occasions he had to use his own personal monies to pay off the creditors when these monies were not available to them. He said he even went as far as spending his tax returns on these events unknowing to his wife Betty Laveist. Laveist said they sometimes even use monies that are allocated for other projects and when the monies are available to them they would replace it including his personal monies. He said some of what he is accused of can be considered sloppy administration on his part since he is not really good at it.
On several occasions Laveist stumbled when answering questions posed to him by the judge, on occasions he seemed confused with the questioning but he also made clear to the judge that he could not remember every single detail pertaining to Culture Club meetings since it took place four years ago. He said while he signed a letter to vacate the position of president on that foundation the actual paper work never took place. Laveist told the judge while the necessary paper work was not completed at the Chamber of Commerce to show that he had vacated the position of President of the Culture Club board, he did sign a letter to that effect. He said he did that after a board meeting was held with all members of the Culture Club board including his wife Betty who is the vice president of the foundation. However, his wife in her statement to the police had said that she never attended any such meeting. Also surprising to Laveist is to learn Virgilo Brooks and Lydia Arnell in their statements said they did not give Laveist and his executive assistant Roberto Richardson the permission to include them as board members. They too said they never attended any board meetings contradicting that which is stated in the minutes, leaving the prosecution to believe that the commissioner and his executive assistant forged the minutes.
Asked by the judge why these two persons would deny attending the meetings. Laveist said he can clearly remember how they sat in the conference room where the meeting was held and he does not know why these persons said what they said.
The commissioner said he can be considered a "culture animal" since he worked on several projects including St. Maarten's Day celebration, the Help us Help you and the school identification and the erecting of statues at several key locations. All of which he said he was doing to promote his culture as well as his island. Laviest also indicated that while the cost to celebrate St. Maarten Day would be as much as $100,000 the island government would only provide Naf. 50,000 and he would have to secure the balance of the funding through donations from businesses. He reminded the judge that his foundation Culture Club was in place some 15 years ago, and not when he became a commissioner.
The prosecution charged that Laviest took some $6,000 from Bargains Unlimited to provide the company with working permits for their personnel since he was the labor commissioner. Laveist said that company sponsored his cultural radio program for one year. He said the company committed $500 monthly for the program and in return they got two advertising spots. The former labor commissioner asked why the prosecutor chose that company and not GEBE or the Harbor Holding Company who made the same monetary donations to the radio program and foundation.
Laveist was also accused of taking $13,000 from BEMAL Enterprises. The monies were used for Laveist and Richardson to travel to Canada where they went to see the type of furniture that is manufactured there. The prosecutor believes the only reason BEMAL enterprise gave this money to Laveist is because they were promised the contract to furnish the new government building. Laveist said he does not know anything about the $10,000 since he never received any monies from the company. He did admit that BEMAL provided the tickets for both him and Richardson to travel to Canada. He said BEMAL had also furnished his office when he was first elected to office. The commissioner said the only reason he went to Canada to seek out furniture is because he was responsible for the government building and since he did not have the knowledge on this he felt going to Canada was a fact finding mission.
Asked where he got monies to stay overseas, the commissioner said at the time he had the privilege to use his government credit card, asked if Richardson collected that money Laveist said he has no knowledge on that since he was never told that. He said the only time he learnt of the $10,000 was during the interrogation.
In arguing the case Attorney at law Remko Stomp said the Dutch is busy trying to use Laveist as a scapegoat as they try to further smear the Netherlands Antilles mainly St. Maarten that is seeking country status. He said he was surprised at the charges the prosecution came up with after having his client behind bars for nine days. One of the charges he said is a misdemeanor which is punishable by fine. Stomp said the case against Laveist can be considered hog wash since the prosecution could not come up with solid proof against Laveist. He said the prosecution fought their case purely circumstantial evidence. Stomp said even though he is confident that the judge would not buckle to pressure from the Dutch he is prepared to go all the way to prove his client innocence of all charges laid against him.
The case of Roberto Richardson was also called and had to be postponed to a later date since the defense intends to call at least two more witnesses which are Laveist and Virgillo Brooks. No date has been set for the continuation of Richardson case.
Richardson is charged jointly with Laveist for forging the Culture Club minutes in an effort to defraud AMFO. He is also charged with accepting of bribes from BEMAL.