PHILIPSBURG:--- The verdict rendered on Monday by Judge Luijks is indeed an indictment against the Prosecutor's Office. SMN News mentioned in several articles that the prosecutors that come to St. Maarten don't come here to work, instead they are here to enjoy the sea and sun and also become friendly with local politicians in order to layer their own pockets. How is it possible that when these prosecutors come to St. Maarten they refuse to go back to Holland? How is it they are able to build huge houses here and purchase beach front properties? The allegations that they have been seizing boats and other assets from suspects and selling them after business hours should be investigated by the pertinent authorities. The fact that they have several boats in a boat yard should also be investigated and the Attorney General should be held accountable for the assets that deteriorated over the years. These seized assets could have been sold and the monies placed in the crime fund. Are there ulterior motives to keep these assets hidden on the French side for years? This should be the first question and who stands to benefit in the end.
The integrity report conducted by PWC on the orders of the Governor does not paint a beautiful picture for St. Maarten. However, the question is what has the prosecution done about all the cases of corruption they have in their offices for over four years now.
- The case against former Minister Maria Buncamper, selling of Economic Rights of Government lease land; let us not forget that St. Maarten's Attorney General Taco Stein is a personal friend of the Buncampers. One should read what the head of the National Detectives Ademar Doran said when he was questioned about his relation to the Buncampers. The $600 he received from Sky is the Limit Foundation while being a Police Commissioner and why he did not follow the orders of former Attorney General Dick Piar to investigate the Buncampers case.
- The case against Regina Labega after a complaint was filed and documents were provided to former Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos by former head of Finance Bas Roorda. The investigation did kick off and investigators did find some 1.2 million USD was transferred from Chase Manhattan Bank in New York to a bank account in Anguilla belonging to DMC. When the prosecution found this information they summoned Labega to their office but she refused to appear, which was her right. However since that happened the prosecution said they were seeking an arrest warrant but to date that has not happened. Where are they on that case and how long more does Regina Labega and the other accused have to wait before they know their fate? Does anyone that is extremely close to the Attorney General of St. Maarten Taco Stein also have influence on this case? Regina Labega was appointed director of PJIAE after she was suspended and removed from St. Maarten Tourist Office by former UP Minister Franklin Meyers. Today Labega disburses PJIAE funds as ordered by the masters who placed her there. Contracts are awarded to people that are close to the UP leader. So the question here is something fishy going on in this case too?
It's clear that the Prosecutor's Office has been engaging in class justice by targeting the less fortunate. One example is the Bada Bing investigation (ORCA) where the Prosecutor's Office even raided Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge's home and office while he was off island. One wonders if the tape released by one of the daily newspapers and in the Netherlands was ever sent to the forensic lab to see if the tape was tampered with. The fact that members of the UP party spoke about this tape on a talk show on the French side long before it was released shows that the UP knew of the tape and probably what the two suspects said might in fact be true. "The taping was orchestrated by Theo Heyliger." Did the Attorney General of St. Maarten have this information prior to the tape being released? In the same case when Heyliger returned to the island detectives from the Landsrecherche did not summon Heyliger to their office to question him, instead these detectives went to Heyliger's home in Guana Bay and had drinks and other eatables while they claimed that it was convenient to question Heyliger at his home and not at the office at the National Detectives. Is this normal procedure or why did Taco Stein have former Chief Commissioner of Police Derrick Holiday arrested and questioned elsewhere? Why was Holiday not offered the same treatment? Is class and color justice taking place on St. Maarten? Judge Luijks already came to that conclusion in the Masbangu case.
In the decision rendered on Monday, Judge Luijks said that the court could not understand why the Landsrecherche and the Prosecutor's Office did not make an effort to even question the leader of the United Peoples Party even though there was enough information for them to do so. The court concluded that Heyliger is being protected by the dysfunctional Prosecutor's Office.
The question now remains to see if the Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson will take the necessary steps and approach the president of the court to have Taco Stein and Chief Prosecutor Eric Noordhoek removed from their offices. Noordhoek who claims to be specialized in fraud cases had the obligation to review the case file put together by the Landsrecherche and the prosecutor that prosecuted the case. A fraud specialist would have seen what judge Luijks saw, besides that Noordhoek had to take into consideration the judge's remarks on the two previous hearings when he basically told the prosecution that by not charging Heyliger they would weaken their case.
