PHILIPSBURG:--- The Landsrecherche has started to question witnesses in the case filed against Member of Parliament Romaine Laville by Member of Parliament Jules James. SMN News learnt that two Dutch detectives attached to the Landsrecherche questioned Benjamin Kelly, Kelly is an employee of the Parliament of St. Maarten. Kelly was questioned most of the day on Tuesday while the detectives also visited the house of Parliament on Tuesday and Wednesday as they continue the investigation.
Attorney General Taco Stein said in an invited comment that the complaint was filed a year ago but the Landsrecherche has a lot of work and when they read in the newspapers that the two Members of Parliament had kissed and made up, they had not yet started the investigation. St. Maarten's Attorney General said earlier this year when the former Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos, former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan, and himself visited Parliament MP James raised questions about the complaint he filed against MP Laville. "MP James was very emotional when he made his comments back then, shortly after that they interrogated MP James again and took the decision to open an investigation into the threats." It should be noted that Member of Parliament Jules James made some comments again this week when Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson visited Parliament. Stein said that he does not have all the details on the investigation but he knows that the detectives have been speaking to witnesses and they also visited the house of Parliament where the incident occurred. He explained that there were threats made against MP James but there was no gun. When asked if Sir Isidore York filed an official complaint against MP Laville, Stein said York spoke to the police about an incident but no official complaint was filed. He said he does not know if York (Mighty Dow) will proceed with filing an official complaint.
When MP James filed the complaint against MP Laville, Member of Parliament Silvia Meyers went along with him and gave a statement as a witness to the threats.
Political pundits have said to SMN News that the leader of the UP party is doing everything he can to remove MP Laville from Parliament so that he could get into Parliament. Some pundits said that Laville killed his political career and stunt the DP and UP members pulled backfired because Laville did not pass the screening to become a Minister.
