PHILIPSBURG — The Court in First Instance brought down the hammer on former politician Theo Heyliger with a verdict that orders him to pay project developer Zebec $92.1 million for his role in pushing the company out of the Dutch Village project at the harbor cruise facilities.
The court denied Zebec’s claim against other parties: the St. Maarten Dutch Quarter Development Company (SMDQC), Danny Ramchandani, Peter Murpuri, and Ocean Drive Properties. But Heyliger, who is already imprisoned for bribery, is the sole loser in this procedure that has by now lasted more than three years.
The court ruled that Zebec did not manage to substantiate that ODP or Ramchandani and Murpuri had committed unlawful acts that resulted in the termination of a development contract between Zebec and the port. The court upheld two other rulings: the one against SMDQC (that was already rejected) and the one against Heyliger, that had already been approved in earlier court rulings.
Zebec first filed its claims against he defending parties in April 2022. SMDQC got off the hook because it reached an agreement with Zebec on August 25, 2015 whereby SMDQC paid Zebec $5 million in damages. SMDQC considered the matter settled this way in an earlier court ruling confirmed this. “This is why the claim against SMDQC must be rejected,” the ruling, dated October 28, 2025, states.
The claim against Heyliger is a different kettle of fish. An earlier court ruling confirmed that the founder of the United People’s party (UP) abused his position. As a result, SMDQC withheld permission to St. Maarten Port Development to allow Zebec to develop the Dutch village – a shopping center. This amounts to an unlawful act by Heyliger, the court ruled. Still, it gave Heyliger the opportunity to present counter-evidence; because he failed to do this, the court considered the allegations against him proven.
What was this all about? Ramchandani and Murpuri are involved in several real estate projects through their company Harbour Arcade. Back in 2003, they also invested in buildings on the port property, whereby they obtained exclusivity for the sale of electronics, cameras, jewelry, watches, liquor and tobacco.
On September 20, 2010 St. Maarten Harbour Cruise and Zebec came to an agreement about the development of the earlier mentioned shopping center that would be named Dutch Village. This size of this center would be 3.300 square meters and there would be sixteen shops. Harbour Arcade reminded the port quickly of it rights to exclusivity for the sale of a range of products.
Zebec, a company of the Gioia brothers, held Ramchandani and Murpuri liable for promising bribes to Heyliger. ODP, established in 2015 after the alleged unlawful acts, was also held liable, because Ramchandani and Murpuri acted on its behalf. ODP made one of the tenants, Diamonds International, pay $480,000 in key money to Private Foundation Skyline, a company controlled by Heyliger.
All statements made during earlier court hearings and all documents that are in the file create the image that Heyliger was the one who orchestrated the termination of the contract between SMDQC and Zebec, the court ruling states. “This happened after Zebec-director Luis Gioia informed Theo Heyliger during a meeting in March 2014 at the Maho Beach Sunset Bar that he did not want to cooperate with fraudulent rent-constructions through companies controlled by Heyliger.
Zebec substantiated in court that Ramchandni and Murpuri, the owners of Harbour Arcade, let a building to Frivol (a company also controlled by Heyliger) for $17,000. Frivol subleased the property to Diamonds International for $22,000. Murpuri acknowledged that the difference of $5,000 went to Frivol, because this company supposedly introduced Diamonds International to Harbour Arcade.
The court did not believe this explanation and concluded that the $5,000 was a bribe Harbour Arcade paid to Heyliger.
Out of this labyrinth of constructions, Heyliger emerges as the only party that is liable towards Zebec. The court ordered him to pay the cost of the procedure against Zebec (around 32,000 guilders, or around $17,900); he will also have to pay Zebec $92.1 million, plus the legal interest starting on October 1, 2021 until the time of full payment.
Zebec will have to pay the cost of the procedure against SMDQC, Ramchandani, Murpuri and ODP, together an amount of 51,000 guilders or almost $28,500.
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