Prosecutor requests prison sentences in ‘Lissabon’ case 

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Former Member and Chairman of Parliament R.B., together with co-suspects J.D., R.D-S and S.G. are before the Court of First Instance this week following an extensive investigation into alleged bribery involving the former MP and Chairman of Parliament.

R.B. is suspected of asking for and accepting bribes during his tenure as an MP, and in part during his time as Chairman of Parliament. The co-suspects are alleged to have paid the bribes.

The Prosecutor has requested prison sentences ranging from 12 to 24 months. In addition, the Prosecutor has requested that R.B. be disqualified from holding public office for a period of five years. In addition, the Prosecutor has demanded that R.B. repay a total of US $52,190.35 in unlawfully obtained assets.

The “Lissabon” investigation was started in February 2023 by the Kingdom Cooperation Team RST under the direction of the Central Team of the Attorney General’s Office of Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.

It is in the interest of Sint Maarten society that there is clarity about the alleged corrupt conduct of a person who is part of the public administration.

For a well-functioning democratic society, it is essential that residents have confidence in their government. Official corruption is a phenomenon with many manifestations and does mainly occur at the interface of public and private interests. Corruption can permanently disrupt a society: it damages the integrity of the government and leads to trade false competition.

For those reasons, the Central Team takes signals of such corruption extremely seriously and, if necessary, has an in-depth investigation carried out.

The court hearing continues on Tuesday, March 10.