KRALENDIJK/THE BOTTOM, Saba – Today the examining magistrate in St. Maarten, in the absence of the examining magistrate on Bonaire continued the provisional detention of the suspect previously held by the initials O.J.E. with 8 more days. Last week, the examining magistrate on Bonaire already ordered a provisional detention for the period stipulated by law of 8 days. In this phase, provisional detention for up to 8 days each time are applied.
Suspects who are on provisional detention are detained in the detention center on Bonaire and cannot stay for too long in police cells. Because the police cells on Saba do not meet the requirements of a house of detention, the suspect is detained on Bonaire. The investigation meanwhile continues. It obviously involves the interrogation of the suspect, but also things like research on digital information devices, research in collaboration with the US and Canadian authorities, analysis of the ever increasing amount of research information and interviewing witnesses.
Previously, most of the research team Hector along with a prosecutor focused on Saba to hear a large group of witnesses there. That took a lot of detective work on Saba. Witnesses on the island have now all been heard and thereby eliminates the need to have many detectives on Saba. The majority of the team will also leave in a few days to Bonaire. There they have more facilities for example for the analysis and technical research. Furthermore, the research team will then be on the same island as where the suspect is detained.
In the interest of the investigation no further statements can be made about the results of the investigation. But at every stage of the research tips are always useful. For this, last week the investigating team requested with a flyer the student community to provide information. No statements on the results of this call can be made at the moment.
Press release of the Public Prosecutor BES
