WILLEMSTAD, Curacao — De suspect O.A. (35) has been released on Friday morning December 16, 2016 by the Prosecutor’s Office. His custody ends today and the Prosecutor’s did not order his prolonged custody, because in light of the ongoing investigation it’s not necessary that the suspects remains in detention.
O.A. remains a suspect in the ongoing investigation.
On November 28, 2016 a total of seven (7) premises, including the house of the suspect, the offices of the port authority of Sint Maarten and at a security company were searched in light of the investigation code-named “Emerald”.
The Emerald-investigation started in April 2016, following reports in the newspapers and questions asked in Parliament about the contract signed between the suspect’s security company the port authority of St. Maarten.
During this investigation suspicions arose about tax fraud, forgery and money laundering. The investigation is part of a joint intensified fight against international fraud and corruption. Corruption and money laundering threatens the security and economy of the countries in the Caribbean part of the Dutch Kingdom.
The special anti-corruption taskforce, TBO of the RST, together with the National Detectives Agencies (Landsrecherches) of Curaçao and Sint Maarten and the Prosecutor’s Office have joined forces to combat corruption. Orders to recover proceeds of crime fit in within the new policy of the Prosecutor’s Office.
The Prosecutor’s Office will be submitting more of such claims.
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