PHILIPSBURG, WILLEMSTAD – Lottery boss Robbie dos Santos was arrested at his St. Maarten home on Monday morning. He was arrested in connection with the ongoing “Maximus” investigation, according to the Prosecutor’s Office in Curaçao.

Maximus is the investigation into who was behind the paid assassination of Curaçao politician Helmin Wiels, who was gunned down on May 5, 2013. The then Member of Parliament (MP) was shot dead by already convicted hired killers, including triggerman Elvis “Monster” Kuwas, who received a life sentence in the “Magnus” case.

In August, former Curaçao Finance Minister George Jamaloodin was found guilty of provoking Wiels’ murder, for which he has paid an unknown amount of money. For this crime, he was sentenced to 28 years. The Prosecutor had called for thirty years imprisonment. Jamaloodin is Dos Santos’ half-brother.

At the time, the Prosecutor’s Office said Jamaloodin’s sentencing did not end the Maximus case. The Prosecutor’s Office believed he did not act alone and received money from other financiers to plan the paid assassination.

The motive for murder was probably Wiels’ digging into the lottery business of Curaçao and St. Maarten. Just before he was killed, Wiels accused that sector of running a scam and tax evasion. He then waved a file saying it would incriminate different people if something happened to him.

The Prosecutor’s Office said it had filled a request with the supervisory judge in Curaçao to have Dos Santos detained. The supervisory judge had determined that there was enough evidence for the arrest.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Dos Santos will be held eight days in pre-trial detention and will be heard today by the supervisory judge in St. Maarten, who will determine whether there are grounds for his transferal to Curaçao for further investigation.