PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Omar Ottley publicly addressed his recent arrest by the Landsrecherche on Monday during the notification period of Parliament’s public meeting, delivering an emotional and defiant statement in which he maintained his innocence and accused authorities of selective prosecution.
Ottley told Parliament that he had to arrive at the National Detective Office around 7:50 to 8:00 a.m. He said that by then, the Prosecutor’s Office had already sent information to the media, and that this made him aware of what he described as the motive behind the matter.
He also said the incident involved his brother allegedly being attacked with a knife, and that he chose to separate the parties rather than become involved in the confrontation. The MP centered his remarks on an incident involving his brother, claiming that his brother intervened honorably during a confrontation rather than escalating the situation.
“I was very proud of myself,” Ottley stated. “To see my brother being attacked with a knife, and I still did the honorable thing and separated instead of being involved.”
Despite his arrest, Ottley said he remains confident that the judicial process will ultimately clear his name, citing previous legal battles in which he says he was vindicated following investigations or accusations against him.
“The court will take its process,” he said. “I have done this dance too many times before and over and over and over have been vindicated.”
During his address, Ottley also referenced past controversies involving fellow Members of Parliament, arguing that elected officials are frequently targeted through accusations, extortion attempts, and politically motivated investigations. He warned against what he described as a pattern of using prosecutorial powers to damage reputations ahead of elections.
“This was placed in order to stop an individual from being Prime Minister,” Ottley alleged, accusing the Prosecutor’s Office of “selective ambition” and “selective amnesia.”
The MP further argued that politicians should not be presumed guilty solely on the basis of accusations or arrests, emphasizing that legal due process must prevail.
“Let me put this clear for the public — if you do the crime, you do the time,” he said. “But in this case, my family and I did nothing.”
Ottley concluded his statement by calling for greater accountability within the justice system and warning against what he described as unchecked authority by prosecutors.
“You will no longer have the authority to destroy people’s lives and then just say, ‘Oh, it’s over,’” he said before yielding the floor.
The Landsrecherche investigation and any potential charges against Ottley remain ongoing. Authorities have not yet publicly released additional details regarding the matter.
