Heyliger denies everything

PHILIPSBURG – Bribery-suspect Theo Heyliger denied any wrongdoing during the second day of the Larimar-trial at the Belair Community Center. The denials of the former politician and founder of the United People’s party are diametrically opposed to statements made a day earlier by crown witness Ronald Maasdam.

Heyliger said that he had only received donations from Maasdam for his political party during the run-up to elections. He claimed that Maasdam had not paid him for anything else, that he had had no involvement in the dredging contract for Devcon and that he did not, as Maasdam claimed, held any informal power over decision making by the harbor group of companies.

He also denied that he had received bribes associated with the causeway bridge construction project from Volker Stevin. Instead, Heyliger said, Maasdam was using his name “on many occasions” and that this was for him a reason to keep his distance. “Maasdam was a close friend of the director of Volker Stevin.”

Port management and its board of directors took the decision about the construction of the causeway bridge across the Simpson Bay lagoon, Heyliger told the court, making clear that he had nothing to do with it.

The public prosecutor will present its case against Heyliger and its demand for punishment on Wednesday before defense attorney Eldon Sulvaran gets the floor to defend the UP-founder.