Dear Editor,
Lately we have been witnessing an increase in legal actions undertaken by the Netherlands-driven Prosecutors against several politicians from the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands with the intention to indict them for suspected criminal activities, most of which are yet to be proven.
We just experienced such legal action taken by the judicial authorities against Mr. Theodore Heyliger, the political leader of the former United People’s Party, now United Democrats Party, and formateur of Sint Maarten’s current government. He has been accused of certain wrongdoings dating back at least five years. He was initially held at the police detention cell in Philipsburg, condemned by the European Court of Human Rights as “inhuman” but has after 10 days been transferred to the Detention Center in Bonaire.
It goes without saying that this article by no means should be seen as an intent to justify any wrongdoings of anyone in our community and in any community for that matter, and especially not of our politicians chosen by the people to serve their community to the best of their knowledge and ability and in a most transparent way and with integrity.
Of course, corrupt politicians exist everywhere and should be prosecuted, but then they should be prosecuted in the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands as a whole and not only in the Caribbean section!
What is happening now, however, creates the strong impression of the Prosecutor acting in an arbitrary or one-sided manner. In other words, the impression among many is that the Prosecutor is acting in a rather selective manner and therefore following a “political” agenda. If true, that would be unacceptable.
In this context, I would like to refer to publications in the Netherlands such as www.foute-politici.nl, among many others available online on this subject.
This particular publication mentions situations of politicians in the Netherlands who have been involved in and/or accused of criminal activities such as corruption, fraud, embezzlement, blackmail, tax-fraud, money laundering, accepting bribes, threatening others, stalking, financial conflict of interest, child molestation, possession of pornographic literature, theft, etc.
Mention is made of at least 105 politicians, members of 9 different political parties, 44 of which are members or former members of the political parties forming the current coalition government in the Netherlands, in other words, no less than 42 per cent.
The question is, however, not the number of politicians involved in criminal activities in recent years in the Netherlands, but rather the BIG question is: How many of them have been eventually indicted and/or actually served any prison time? A further study of this matter undoubtedly reveals that apparently, for whatever “unexplainable” or perhaps “explainable” reason, the percentage of said politicians that served jail time – if any at all – is negligible.
Judge for yourself, therefore, and conclude whether or not there exists an equitable practice in the judicial system within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
I will be providing regular updates and facts about what is happening within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Knowledge is Empowering!
Josianne Fleming-Artsen
