Court delivers verdict in “Jasmine” investigation

The Court imposed a sentence of 29 months of unconditional imprisonment and a five-year disqualification from holding public office on suspect C.E. for the offences of accepting bribes, abuse of office and fraud.

Permit file

The Court found C.E. guilty of passive official bribery and co-perpetration of abuse of office.

A.D. was found guilty of active official bribery and co-perpetration of abuse of office and was sentenced to 11 months of imprisonment.

The Court found sufficient evidence of preferential treatment in the issuance of permits, as well as the acceptance of a gift from co-suspect A.D., whereby so-called “mangoes” were determined to represent monetary payments.

However, suspect C.E. was acquitted of receiving a gift in the form of a room allegedly provided by a third party.

Second file (flagpole project and tender procedure)

The Court found evidence of co-perpetration of fraud and co-perpetration of abuse of office (together with amongst others, his then Chief of Cabinet M.R.) in the public tender process of the so-called “Prins Bernhard Bridge”, “Repairs to Roadside barriers & railings”, “Basketball Court”, and “Emergency Repairs Keys Bridge (Sucker Garden)” projects. This included the provision of an incorrect representation of facts (deception) and the submission of falsified quotations. These projects were all granted to a company in which his Chief of Cabinet was a 50 per cent shareholder.

In the file relating to the flagpole project, C.E. was acquitted of bribery and abuse of office.

A separate part of the Jasmine investigation also involves other suspects whose cases have not yet been completed. The cases of M.R. and J.E.B. were postponed and will be handled at a later stage by another judge. Their matters are therefore still pending and will be addressed separately from this ruling.

Suspect J.M.B.

With regard to the flagpole project, the Court expressed doubts about the course of events but did not find sufficient evidence to establish bribery.

The Court concluded that the matter primarily involved possible misrepresentation. The statement by J.M.B. that his company name had been misused could not be disproven.

J.M.B. was therefore acquitted of all charges.

The Prosecutor’s Office emphasizes that integrity in public office is essential for maintaining public trust. Cases such as this underscore the importance of transparency and accountability in decision-making processes, particularly where public authority and resources are involved. The Prosecutor’s Office is satisfied with the outcome of this (complex) investigation.

The “Jasmine” investigation was conducted by the National Detectives LrSXM and the Kingdom Cooperation Team RST. The National Detectives specialise in investigating criminal activities within the government, with a particular focus on civil servants. RST is a multidisciplinary investigative unit that operates across the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, focusing on complex and cross-border criminal investigations in close cooperation with local authorities.