PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Public Prosecutor’s Office has filed an appeal against the verdicts of the Court of First Instance of Sint Maarten in the “Lisbon” criminal case, which concerns bribery of public officials. The appeal was filed in the cases of R.B., R.A.D.S., and S.L.G..
The Court rendered its judgment in this case on April 29. The main defendant, R.B., was suspected of having accepted bribes from three individuals while serving as a member of the Parliament of Sint Maarten, including by accepting bribes in exchange for favoring these individuals.
The Court ruled that bribery could not be proven in two cases. In one case, the Court did find bribery proven.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has reviewed the verdicts but does not agree with several of the Court’s legal considerations, nor with the sentence imposed. For that reason, it has been decided to file an appeal against the verdicts in the cases of R.B., R.A.D.S., and S.L.G..
The Public Prosecutor’s Office emphasizes that cases of this nature strike at the heart of democratic governance. Integrity in public office is essential to maintaining public trust and ensuring that decisions are made in the interest of society as a whole, without being influenced by personal gain.
Corruption, both passive and active, undermines fair decision-making, distorts economic opportunities, and erodes trust in public institutions. Addressing such conduct remains a priority within the broader efforts to uphold the rule of law in Sint Maarten.
The “Lisbon” investigation was conducted by the Joint Investigation Team (RST) led by the Central Team of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. RST is a multidisciplinary investigative unit active in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom and focuses on complex and cross-border criminal investigations.
The Central Team focuses on a specialized approach to combating corruption and subversive crime. The team conducts criminal investigations with a financial-economic component that may involve, among others, politically exposed persons (PEPs), public officials, government entities, facilitators, and public sector organizations.
