Page 41 - AWEMAINTA

Diabierna, 2 Februari 2018 AWEMainta 41

Internacional

Demands in court
cases “Octopus”
and “Grastelchi”

PHILIPSBURG - Four persons were in court in Phil- Suspect R. was in the investigation “Grastelchi” charged

ipsburg on Wednesday, January 31st, 2018 regarding the with complicity in electoral fraud and also the violation

combined investigations “Octopus” and “Grastelchi”. of official secrecy. R. would send a list of persons en-

This concerns the criminal investigation into electoral titled to vote to suspect S.J.M. and handed this over and

fraud during the elections for the Parliament of Sint thereby made themselves complicit in the subsequent

Maarten on 29 August 2014. electoral fraud.

Four suspects were present in Court, namely S.J.M.,

E.E.L.F., F.A. and E.A.R. For R. a prison sentence of 9 months was demanded, of

which 3 months conditionally with a probation period

The summon in the case against F.A. was not properly. of 3 years. The Public Prosecutor is of the opinion that
That case could not be dealt with on Wednesday. The the other alleged facts can be proved legally and convinc-
three cases against the other suspects (S.J.M., E.E.L.F. ingly.

and E.A.R.) have been treated.

For F., who has since been detained again, a prison sen-

The “Octopus” investigation was started at the end of tence of 6 months was demanded. For suspect M. a pris-

2014 by the National Criminal Investigation Depart- on sentence for the duration of 2 years was demanded

ment (Landsrecherche Sint Maarten) under the direction in Court. According to the Public Prosecutor, M. was the

of the Public Prosecutors Office (OM) of Sint Maarten. leader of the criminal organization: “Defendant M. takes

In this case, various house searches were carried out in no responsibility for these serious facts - which under-

2016 and arrests took place. mine the democratic rule of law. Even today he does not

appear to give an explanation at a session”.

The investigation focused on a criminal organization led

by S.J.M. Prisoners in the “Point Blanche” prison were An additional penalty was also claimed for suspect M.,

paid to vote on S.J.M. A taxi driver and an exhibitor namely immediate dismissal from the right to vote for

were also promised that they would be assisted by M. the duration of 5 years. This means that, if it is up to

with their permit application if they would vote for M. the Public Prosecutor, M. can no longer be elected to a

This, according to the Public Prosecutor, is extra harmful: representative body of the Country Sint Maarten.

“The level playing field for entrepreneurs was also dam- In the words of the Public Prosecutor: “This right was

aged. Simply put, the entrepreneur who sells his voice is forfeited by defendant M. by committing this organized

more likely to have a permit.” electoral fraud.

The country Sint Maarten deserves better. Let this mat-

In this case, the Public Prosecutors Office Sint Maarten ter also be a warning to anyone with bad intentions for
charged the suspects with the following: participation in the coming States elections.”
a criminal organization of joint election fraud for M. and The verdict is in three weeks, on Wednesday, February
F. 21, 2018 at 08.30 hours.