Philipsburg:--- The videotape that showed Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge collecting monies from the owner of Bada Bing exotic club on September 30th, 2012 initiated a speedy investigation. According to reliable information reaching SMN News, detectives searched the home of Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge early Saturday morning. MP Illidge who is currently in the Netherlands with his wife confirmed to SMN News on Saturday that he was informed by one of his cousins that his home and the apartments he is renting were searched. MP Illidge said he does not know what was found and no one from law enforcement contacted him prior to searching his home. He said that he will be meeting with his lawyers when he returns to the island on Sunday to check on the legality of the search.
According to well placed sources, the detectives found an illegal firearm in one of the apartments that MP Illidge is renting to a relative of another Member of Parliament from the Democratic Party faction. MP Patrick Illidge lives in the Pointe Blanche area.
SMN News contacted Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos on Saturday afternoon for a comment on the search. Mos said he will not make any verbal comment but he will be issuing a press release sometime Saturday afternoon.
ATTORNEY GENERAL ORDERS INVESTIGATION --- House searches conducted after video footage has been secured.
On Friday, Attorney General Mr. D. A. Piar ordered the start of an investigation by the Special Investigation Unit into possible corruption made visible on video footage that was published by the press.
The Prosecutor's Office subsequently ordered a local newspaper to hand over the video footage that, based on the newspapers' claim on Friday, had been dropped in their letter box some time ago. This footage will be further studied.
On Saturday, the judge of instruction conducted a house search on three different locations: in the house of MP Patrick Illidge, at the Bada Bing adult entertainment center, and at the Immigration and Naturalization Service IND. The Special Investigation Unit was assisted by several local Police officers.
On the premises of Patrick Illidge, a 29 year old Spanish man, M.R.M.S., was arrested because of illegal possession of a firearm and bullets. He was handed over to the Police where he was remanded in custody.
During the search on the three locations another fire arm and bullets were seized besides money, immigration documents, computers, laptops, an iPad, USB-sticks, telephones, official documents and papers and photo cameras.
The seized papers and the digital information will be subject to research the coming days. Based on the findings the investigation will continue.
Press Release from Prosecutor's Office
Below is the video of MP Illidge allegedly accepting a bribe (Courtesy The Daily Herald):