PHILIPSBURG:--- A female Trinidadian spent one night at the Pointe Blanche prison Thursday after immigration officers from IND arrested her at the Philipsburg Police Station where she went to file a complaint against a businessman who took away her passport. The woman spoke to SMN News exclusively on Friday after the Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson ordered her immediate release pending an investigation.
The woman told SMN News that she worked on at least two cruise ships and at Seaman's Club for a period of time. She said she also worked for two restaurants in Philipsburg and other business establishments in Simpson Bay but most of her employers deceived her when they took her documents to file for working documents. She said while working at La Bamba she met a businessman whom she went out with to drink and then took him to her apartment in Pelican where she provided all sorts of kinky sex for the businessman. "He told me he wanted certain sexual pleasures and was willing to pay for it. This man never told me he was married however, he told me he had a brother that was a Minister and he was the personal advisor to two Ministers on St. Maarten therefore he could not go to strip clubs to meet his sexual needs. He wanted a woman who could provide it all to him at home or at some private villas."
The woman said she decided to end the relationship when she got pregnant and the man wanted the baby which she did not want. She further explained that at some point she made an agreement with the man who brought his lawyer in and he paid her $3,000.00. Later the lawyer paid her $1,400, some of which she used to do an abortion. "The lawyer made me sign an agreement that if I told anyone about the arrangement I had with the businessman he would sue me and have me deported. I signed it because I wanted my money. When I made the agreement with "the client" to do the abortion, he told me that he will hold my passport until the deal is over, but I did what he wanted and now he has to pay me the balance that he owes me which is $6,800.00 for the services I provided to him. I tried getting my monies and passport from the businessman but each time he keeps playing a game with me because he does not want to end the relationship and he thinks that I need time to think about my decision to change my life and end the relationship with him since I found out he is married."
The woman who was obviously distraught on Friday afternoon provided SMN News with invoices for the sexual services she provided to the businessman. She said that she was advised to contact the Prosecutor's Office for help so that she could get her passport back. "On Thursday, I went to the Prosecutor's Office and I spoke to a Prosecutor who told me to go over to the Philipsburg Police Station to file a complaint. The Prosecutor that spoke to me told me that I should speak with Detective Baptiste but when I went to the Police Station I was told that Detective Baptiste is on vacation. Another detective spoke to me and he passed the case to another detective and that detective asked if I was from Trinidad and I told him yes and he told them put me to sit on a chair to wait. The next think I know some immigration officers came and searched me and shackled me and took me to the IND building. These officers treated me very badly, they also tried to force me to sign some documents that were in Dutch and I refused. They forbid me from using my phone but I managed to get in touch with my lawyer and informed him of the incident. Later, the IND immigration officers took me to my house and they ransacked my apartment, broke glasses and threw things all over the place. They claimed that someone told them I had my passport in my apartment. They looked everywhere and they did not find it, then they took me to Pointe Blanche prison where I spent the night. I don't know what happened but I know on Friday two immigration officers who treated me like a pig came for me from at the prison and brought me back to IND building and they had me sign some documents and they released me. They said I have six weeks to stay on the island until I get my passport back and collect the monies that the businessman owes me, then I have to leave St. Maarten. I also have to check in at IND every Friday and on Monday with the detectives." The woman said she intended to press charges against the businessman and the businessman's lawyer on Monday.
SMN News has copies of the invoices as well as an audio interview with the woman but felt it quite in appropriate to publish it because of the contents.
