PHILIPSBURG:--- Former Member of Parliment Romaine Laville can now breathe a sigh of relief as the Court of Appeals cleared him of all charges that were brought against him. Laville was charged with gun threats against former MP Jules James and the mighty Dow. He was also charged with the possession of an illegal firearm. In a brief statement to SMN News, Laville said he could go back to living a normal life after 5 years of dealing with these allegations that led to him being prosecuted.
Statement from Prosecutor's Office, Today, July 11, 2017, The Court of Appeal on Sint Maarten ruled, in the case against Romain Laville, that the competent authority, the Minister of Justice, never explicitly indicated that Laville’s application for an extension of his gun permit was definitively rejected. Therefore, in the view of the Court, Laville did not necessarily have to know that his gun possession was unlawful and that he had to hand in the gun.
Every criminal case is about weighing different circumstances and facts and therefore an outcome can be that a criminal act can be proven, but that the suspect’s defense that he should not be blamed for that, is honored by the Court.
The Public Prosecutor's Office Sint Maarten continues its efforts towards a restrictive gun permit policy.
