PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prosecutor's Office has dispatched a letter to Attorney General of St. Maarten Taco Stein and the Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson on the decision they received from the judge of instruction to release two suspects that were arrested on March 19th with some 2.5 million US dollars. Police from KPSM arrested two suspects and also confiscated a small aircraft that landed at the Princess Juliana International Airport with the monies.
It is widely rumored that the suspects who are not living on the island were allegedly transporting monies for a political party for the upcoming election campaign. The investigators that are currently investigating the case are not saying much since they believe they know who the monies are for. As for the two suspects, they will receive a summons to appear in court when the investigation is completed.
Press Prosecutor Tineke Kamps told SMN News that her office is busy studying the decision while they sent a letter to Stein and the Minister of Justice. According to the decision, the judge ruled in favor of releasing the two suspects because they were denied some basic human rights benefits which are only available at the Pointe Blanche Prison.
Kamps said these suspects were held in the prison cells at the Philipsburg Police Station but they had to be transported to Pointe Blanche to participate in certain activities, she said right now her office is busy investigating to see if the suspects were not taken to Pointe Blanche Prison for their day program because up to now they are not sure if that happened or not.
Kamps said the main reason the suspects were held at a Philipsburg holding cell and not in Pointe Blanche is because of the renovation of the cells at Pointe Blanche prison. However, the judge ruled that the excuse provided by the prosecution claiming that due to the renovations the suspects could not be held at Pointe Blanche is not sufficient.
Several efforts made to reach the Attorney General of St. Maarten Taco Stein on Thursday for a comment on whether or not he is investigating what transpired with the prison management proved futile as Stein claimed to be off island.
Efforts made to reach Director of the Prison Edward Rohan on Thursday also proved futile.
It should be noted that this is the second time the judge of instruction released suspects that committed serious crimes due to human rights violations. The first being the 17 year old that was involved in a murder in 2013.
