Eyebrows being raised as to where police and prosecution found manpower and tools to investigate cyber crimes?
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday extended the pretrial detention for well-known teacher and unionist Claire Elshot who was arrested on Sunday evening for allegedly threatening an employee of the Court of First Instance. The employee it is understood is a court recorder and is also a neighbor of Elshot who recently opened the ACE foundation in Cole Bay with the assistance of NAGICO.
SMN News learned that the courthouse employee and her relatives refused to use their entrance and instead have been using the narrow entrance leading to the ACE Foundation. According to the information provided to SMN News, the use of the entrance created some neighborly feud and that led to some threatening Facebook posts.
Sources say that the courthouse employee used her power to file a complaint and obtained a warrant based on the Facebook posts. SMN News learned that police first arrested Elshot’s son for threats also and when she went to enquire at the Philipsburg police station about her son she was informed that there has been a warrant for her arrest and was immediately arrested. In the meantime, Elshot's son has been released and has to serve 50 hours of community service,
While it is not acceptable for anyone to fire threats at other people or even post it on Facebook, one has to question the way Elshot was arrested and if the court and prosecutor’s office have abused their power in this case.
SMN News reporter and several citizens of St. Maarten filed numerous complaints about, threats, defamation, and slander against another citizen and to date the prosecution cannot move to court with the case against the culprit even though the suspect was arrested and somehow got prosecuted for slandering two Dutch nationals, namely a lawyer and former detective. However, the prosecutor claimed on several occasions that they do not have the necessary manpower and or tools to investigate cyber crimes and as such they are unable to proceed with the prosecution of the culprit that hijacked the names and photographs of several persons and created numerous Facebook pages that they are using to slander and defame other people. The latest explanation the prosecution gave when asked for an update on the case, they said that the suspect, is no longer on the island and she was released on conditions and did not live up to those conditions. The prosecution also admitted they know where the suspect is but to date did absolutely nothing to bring this person to justice.
The most recent victim of cyber hijacking is Minister of Finance Richard Gibson Sr whose name and photographs are being used on Facebook with at least four fake Facebook accounts.
It is indeed questionable where the prosecution and or KPSM found the tools and manpower to investigate the cyber crimes Elshot is accused of committing.
In a prosecutor’s press bulletin issued on Friday, it states The Judge of instruction on Friday, December 9, 2016, deemed the arrest and detention of V.C.E.A. (59) legitimate. She is suspected of threat, insult, and libel. The Prosecutor’s Office had prolonged her detention on December 7 with 8 more days.
F.R.E. (35) suspected of threat was released on December 8 on “conditional dismissal”. He will serve 50 hours of community service.
