Philipsburg: ---- Chief Commissioner of Police Derrick Holiday remains a disappointed man yesterday when he was given the verdict of the appeals court. The court considered proven that the top cop did falsify a number of re-entry permits while he was also found guilty of fraud by falsely collecting rental allowances for his home.
Holiday was sentenced to one year conditional prison term, and one hundred and eighty hours of community service including a three-year ban from the police force. Holiday was also placed on a-two year probation.
Yesterday's verdict can be considered harsher than the verdict of the Court of First Instance since the trial judge in the Court of First Instance had sentenced Holiday to a 4-month suspended sentence with three years probation and a $5,500 fine.
During the trial on March 4th Holiday cited that there was conspiracy with his arrest and prosecution. He had said the Minister of Justice acted in conspiracy when he removed him from his office just days before he was arrested and a major search was conducted at his home and office. The former top cop said that arresting and prosecuting him is a means to show St. Maarten was not ready for its country status since the Dutch has to prove the local police force was corrupt.
During the hearing of his appeal Holiday looked confident he was quizzed severely on the re-entry permits that bore his signature. Holiday told the three-panel judges he had the power to sign the documents since he was the Chief Commissioner of Police, he also made clear no one paid him for these documents instead he did so for humanitarian purposes.
The court ruled that the defendant (Holiday) violated the integrity of the Police Force and government policy while he held a position to defend the integrity of government.
As for the house rent allowances he said the Lt. Governor had told him if he repaid the monies he collected under false pretence then he would not have been prosecuted. Holiday said he already paid back those monies that he falsely collected for his own financial gain.
