Philipsburg:--- The Attorney General has authorized the prosecutor's office on St. Maarten to launch an investigation into two cases that are directly linked to the government of St. Maarten.The first on the list is the famous vote buying case which involved police officers and the United Peoples Party.
The Police Internal Affairs had conducted an investigation to determine if three police officers and civil servant at the police station were given monies by the United Peoples Party to vote for the party leader. When that investigation was completed the file was turned over to the Prosecutor's office for them to take a decision on whether or not they will prosecute. Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos confirmed on Sunday to SMN News that they have clearance from the attorney general to investigate.
While the Prosecutor's office has been given clearance months ago they are yet to begin the investigation for the lack of sufficient staff at the Lands Recherché.
Mos also confirmed that his office received clearance from the attorney general to launch an investigation on the allegations and criminal complaint filed at his office regarding the Tourist Office.
The Council of Ministers had suspended the Director of the Tourist Office Regina Labega and Edward Dest on November 5th with immediate effect. On November 25th a criminal complaint was filed against the two for embezzlement, but the Council of Ministers decided to reinstate both civil servants on December 2nd hours before they were scheduled to appear before the administrative courts. Government even agreed to pay the legal fees of Naf. 1, 500 after an agreement were reached between the attorney that represented Labega and Dest. At the time, Attorney at Law Jairo Bloem said the prosecutor's office had confirmed to him that a criminal complaint was filed but his clients were not suspects.
Mos did not say if they already started the investigation that relates to the Tourist Office.
Last week Thursday, the Council of Ministers fired the director of the Finance Department Bas Roorda allegedly for taking the evidence and other information he found related to the Tourist Office to the Prosecutors Office.
Roorda has since left the island but has hired Attorney at Law Maarten Le Poole to contest his immediate termination.
In the meantime, Mos said his office is still busy gathering information in the case against former Minister Maria Buncamper to send to the Attorney General for approval. Mos said due to the four recent murders that were committed his office and the police are swamped with work which caused a delay in the fact finding for the Buncamper's case.