Mud also confirmed that the detectives are in the final stages of the investigation. The press prosecutor said the detectives now have to put together their reports on which a decision will be taken on which of the suspects that were arrested will be prosecuted.
On January 21st 2011, the detectives from the RST, KPS and the Royal Marachaussee arrested five suspects they were; the project leader of BTA 2 Evelyn Hodge, Josianne Caniegieter, Josianne Emanuel, Patricia Romney and Weisha Alfred. Serrant and another person identified as Jackie Lake were the last persons that were arrested just a week ago.
The investigation into the BTA 2 began when someone from IND filed an official report with the detectives department stating that one of the new stamps from IND went missing. Sources say the stamp was reported missing more than one week after it was actually stolen.
SMN News learnt that the stamp was used to make numbers which was distributed to the crowd of people lining up at the BTA office to submit their documents to obtain a BTA permit.
SMN News further learnt that persons working at the BTA office and the culprit who probably stole the IND stamp was making numbers and was selling it to those persons that were lining up to submit their documents.
Reliable sources say the stamp went missing after the security guard working for IND left it in an empty and unsecured room. Sources say the security was asked to make numbers when the crowd at the BTA office became unmanageable and he claimed to have left the stamp on a table in the unsecured room.
Sources say that someone was also selling letters and application forms for as much as $2,000 to the foreigners who were eager to get their legal documents via the BTA extension period. Some of the documents that were sold were even backdated to December 29 and 30th. Many of the foreigners who fell victim to the latest scam paid for the application forms, job contracts as well as the government processing fees to be able to submit their files for a BTA residency permit.
It must be noted that while it is believed that at least 80% of the application forms submitted during the extension period which began on November 24th to December 30th are from persons who never had a BTA permit, well placed sources say that many of the new applicants are from persons (foreign workers) whose working permits were denied by the labour department.
Several persons who requested a BTA permit during the extension period confirmed to SMN News that when the labour department turned down their request for the renewal of their working permit they were advised to go through the BTA. Some said they had as much as six working and residency permits and suddenly their documents were denied by the labour department. Many of them said the BTA project was an escape route to become legal residents on St. Maarten since the 2008/2009 labour policy was too stringent. One legal mind said the former executive and island council created ways of corruption and self enrichment when they drafted and enacted the revised labour policy in 2008.
SMN News also learnt that many persons who were rejected during the BTA 1 process were allowed to reapply during the BTA 2, especially persons who arrived on St. Maarten after 2005.
SMN News further learnt that an official of the labour department filed a complaint with the detectives when they were confronted with what appeared to be bogus documents. One source said senior workers at labour department were also against the BTA project since it prevented them from making monies from the foreign workers and employers.
"Foreign workers were being exploited by the system and people who worked at the labour department. Many of them have placement agencies who were charging these workers huge sums of monies to process their documents. Employers were paying these civil servants big bucks through their companies and the BTA process initiated by the former Minister of Justice plugged the loophole in the system thereby cutting off the extra monies that the civil servants were making."
While the prosecutor's office and the police on St. Maarten are continuing the investigation in the BTA 2 project it must be noted that this is not the first time top ranking officials were locked up and convicted for tampering with residency permits. Those convicted for residency scams (Re-entry permits) are former chief of immigration Marcel Loor and former chief of police Derrick Holiday.