PHILIPSBURG--Former Democratic Party (DP) commissioner of social affairs, labour and youth Louie Laveist admitted Thursday during the hearing of his appeal against his conviction for fraud, forgery and bribery that he had made mistakes, but maintained that he had not committed any crimes.
“I have no criminal bone in my body,” an emotional Laveist told the three judges of the Joint Court of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba and those present in the public stands, among them DP Councilman Petrus Leroy de Weever.
“I do feel that I am innocent,” Laveist said in explaining while he was appealing his sentence of 18 months, nine of which were suspended with three years’ probation, a NAf. 5,000 fine, and a ban from holding office for five years.
Solicitor General Ton van der Schans totally differed in opinion with the embattled politician, and considered all charges legally and convincingly proven. He requested the Joint Court to impose 24 months, nine of which were to be suspended, with three years’ probation and a five-year ban from office.
Laveist, a politician since 1998 and Island Council member since 2003, denied he had forged minutes of Culture Club Foundation, of which he had been the chairman. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, this was done to defraud co-financing organisation AMFO of NAf. 22,750 in subsidy for a so-called “Moral Values” project, including the 2004 St. Maarten Day “Rally Around the Flag” project.
AMFO had requested Laveist’s abdication as the foundation’s chairman to avoid conflict of interest, which Laveist said Thursday had been difficult to accomplish, considering that he also had been Commissioner of Culture.
He qualified the fact that the change of the board had never been registered officially by a notary as an “oversight” and an “honest mistake” for which he apologised.
Some NAf. 5,000 of AMFO’s subsidy landed in Laveist’s pocket. This was in reimbursement for an advance he had made to the foundation, he explained to the Court.
But this also pointed to a conflict of interest, said Court President Gerard Lewin. “I agree with this 100 per cent. It was not right, but it became the norm to do things this way. But foundation money was not used for my personal gain,” said Laveist.
He also denied that he had accepted a bribe in connection with the furnishing of the new Administration Building. According to the charges, Laveist and his assistant Roberto Richardson went on a paid trip to Canada to visit the factory of a supplier of office furnishings.
“I thought it was a good educational trip for me. It was just for orientation that I went to Canada. I was never pressured to give the contract to this manufacturer,” Laveist said. He stated that the trip had had a private character.
He was also confronted with the charge that he had accepted a US $6,000 donation to Culture Club Foundation from Bargains Unlimited in exchange for work permits for sales representatives. Laveist said he had only requested that the Executive Council reconsider its refusal to grant the company the requested permits.
According to the charges, Laveist was also involved in the employment of an undocumented foreigner. Laveist explained that Barbershop 2 where this person had been employed belonged to his sister and his nephew, and that he had only mediated on his nephew’s behalf with Labour Department head Rafael Boasman. However, he denied having had any knowledge of illegal employees.
Asked whether he would want to become a commissioner again once the five-year ban was over, Laveist said he wanted to vindicate himself first. “My career is not on my horizon right now. I have learned a valuable lesson. I should not have accepted anything from anyone. I apologise to the entire community for not thinking straight.”
“I am humbled here today,” he said in stating that he would be willing to perform community service; for instance, in teaching drama and writing in schools.
“No matter how you twist and turn, it is all a matter of conflict of interest,” said the Solicitor General. The former commissioner had practised no transparency at all and had been mixing public and private interests for a number of years, he said. “He has abused public office for personal gain at the expense of government and the public interest.”
Laveist’s attorney Cor Merx pointed to some technical deficiencies in the handling of the investigations. He further stated that the charges of forgery, fraud and bribery could not be proven, and therefore pleaded for his client’s full acquittal.
The Joint Court will hand down its decision in Curaçao on February 11.
