Emmanuel rages against justice system

PHILIPSBURG – MP Christophe Emmanuel already made a remark about it on Monday, but during the second day of the 2018 budget debate he went all out against the criminal justice system in St. Maarten because he was not satisfied with the answer he received to his initial remarks from justice Minister Cornelius de Weever.

Emmanuel’s beef is with a photo that appeared on February 5 on the front page of the only print paper left on the island. It showed Judge of Instruction John Schols, prosecutor Joris Beliën, a court registrar and three members of the anti-corruption task force TBO having dinner at the Greenhouse restaurant. The dinner took place on January 17.

Emmanuel labeled the cozy get together of the judge, the prosecutor and the TBO-officers as a serious breach of integrity, going even as far as calling the justice system a criminal organization.

“The Netherlands is sending these judges and prosecutors and they pick and choose whom they are going to prosecute,” Emmanuel said, adding that there is “something sinister” about the gathering of the judge with a prosecutor and TBO-members.

The MP asked Minister de Weever, whether he had received a letter from a group of lawyers who were also not happy with what they called  the seamless merger of the different players in the justice chain.

Emmanuel want to see judge Schols “on the next plane back to the Netherlands.”