SMN News learnt that an old firearm was found during the search at Robbie's Lottery and the manager of the company might be taken into custody if the owner of the firearm does not have a license to carry a firearm. Sources say that Robbie's Lottery on St. Maarten was not very co-operative as they did not want to open the vault that was holding the monies for the company and the investigators were forced to break open the vault. Prosecutor Den Hartigh confirmed that the manager for Robbie's St. Maarten claimed they did not have a key to open the vault and the police had to break it open.
The searches on St. Maarten are part of a joint investigation between Curacao and St. Maarten said Press Prosecutor Gillano Scoop of Curacao. Gillano Schoop confirmed that the main offices of Robbie's Lottery both on St. Maarten and Curacao were searched as investigators are busy investigating a suspect identified as R.A.D.S (Robert De Santos) of tax fraud and money laundering. Schoop said the investigators searched two homes and two businesses on Curacao while they intend to search three businesses and three homes on St. Maarten. Prosecutor Schoop said no arrests have been made on either country.
St. Maarten's Prosecutor Barth Den Hartigh confirmed on Tuesday evening that the investigators seized monies and administrative paper work during the raids. Den Hartigh said he could not disclose exactly how much money was seized as the investigators were still busy working on the case late Tuesday afternoon.
Robert De Santos is the brother of Curacao's Finance Minister Jorge Jamaloodin. Sources say the veteran businessman was the main financial contributor to the political party "Movementu Kòrsou Futuro."
Already indications from several persons in the community here and on Curacao say the ongoing investigations may be political.