PHILIPSBURG:--- The public prosecutor has taken close to four years to decide whether or not they will prosecute former Minister of Public Health Maria Buncamper-Molanus who sold the economic rights of government long lease land. The Buncamper case made headlines when several media houses including SMN News dug deep and found that Maria Buncamper sold the economic rights for long lease land she obtained from government. Selling of the economic rights of such property may not be illegal but the person that former minister sold the economic rights to was a civil servant who is currently living in the Netherlands on welfare. The former minister received the long lease for the property on April 1st, 2008, while the former minister was a member of the island council. After that she sold the economic rights to one Theodore Oniel Walters, managing director of Eco Green N.V. The economic rights of the that parcel of land was sold for $3M.
According the deed made by notary Francis Edgar Gijbertha, the Buncampers received a down payment of USD 1,631,297.00 from the buyer Theodore Oniel Walters, managing director of Eco Green N.V. Walters committed himself to paying USD 18,750 monthly installments beginning January 2009.
When the media broke the news in 2010, the minister had to resign from office instead of being given a motion of non-confidence.
The Buncampers took the Public Prosecutors Office to court in June 2014 demanding that they take a decision on the case.
Public Prosecutor Tineke Kamps stated in a press release on Friday that the Public Prosecution Service promised to take a decision about the prosecution in the Buncamper investigation before December 1, 2014. The public prosecutor has decided that the 47-year-old suspect Mrs. M.B. (Maria Buncamper) will be summoned. She will have to stand trial for tax fraud, fraud and participation in a criminal organization. The Buncamper case concerns an investigation regarding a transaction with a piece of land, that was given in long lease by the country Sint Maarten. The so called pro forma/pre-trial hearing in this case is scheduled for January 7, 2015.
For more in depth information on the Buncamper long lease sale details can be found that the link below.
