Philipsburg: Island Councilman and former commissioner of labour Louie Laveist is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday where his appeal case would be heard.
Laviest was convicted on April 28th 2009 of fraud, forgery, bribery and hiring of an illegal. His case was tried on April 8th. His lawyer at the time Remko Stomp immediately appealed the case.
The court had found proven back then that Laveist forged the minuites of the Culture Club Foundation to defraud AMFO of Naf 22, 750. It also found proven that Laviest and his exectutive assistant Roberto Richardson accepted a bribe from BEMAL NV in the form of two plane tickets to Canada and $10,000 as the former labour commissioner had intended to use his influence as a commissioner to grant the company the contract to furnish the new and unfinished government administration building.
Also found proven is Laviest accepted $6,000 from Bargains Unlimited to his foundation Culture Club, the judge found that Laveist again used his influence as the commissioner of labor who was responsible for the granting of working permits used his influence to grant the businessman a working permit while there was a moratorium in place. Laviest was also found guilty as an accomplice for a hiring Samuel Boney (Sammy) the barber to work illegally in a barbershop belonging to his sister.
He was condemned to serve 18 months in prison, nine of which are conditional; less time spent behind bars during his pre-trial detention. Laveist was also ordered to pay a fine of Naf.5, 000 or spend 55 days behind bars, with three years probation. The judge also banned Laviest from holding any position in the civil core or any public office even if elected or appointed for the next five years.
In the ruling, the judge had said the suspect did not give the impression that he cared about conflict of interest. It must be concluded that the suspect did not behave himself as a commissioner in a transparent nor with integrity. Judge Smid felt the suspect (Laveist) has misused the power granted to him for personal gain, which made him guilty of corruption.
