PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Suspended Member of Parliament and co-founder of the United Democrats, Theo Heyliger, has been granted up to two weeks to post bail in the amount of a quarter of a million dollars. In the meantime, at the request of the judge, his passport has been handed over to the OM. This is part of the conditions set by the judge for Heyliger’s pre trial detention release. The suspended MP, who was arrested at his home in Guana Bay on Tuesday, February 19th by law enforcement officers of the Anti Corruption Taskforce (TBO), is a suspect in the ongoing Larimar investigation.
He is alleged to have been involved with among other illegal activities, bribery and corruption. On Tuesday, May 21st, the appellate court decided to release Mr. Heyliger who was taken from the Point Blanche Prison to the St. Maarten Medical Center on Thursday, May 9th for medical care.
“I can confirm that the judge has granted the defense the request to suspend the pre trial detention and the judge has set a number of conditions to this decision. It is correct that Mr. Heyliger has to hand over his passport to the Prosecutor and that has been done,” according to Prosecutor, Jeroen Kuipers.
According to him, it is also correct that Mr. Heyliger has to post bail as has been set by the judge at a quarter of a million (250, 000, 00) US dollars. “While a guarantee letter has been issued, that is not enough. We have granted Heyliger two (2) weeks to post his bail,” commented the Prosecutor, adding that he has seen people commenting that St. Maarten does not have a bail system and inviting the OM to point out the exact article in the St. Maarten criminal code procedure.
“St. Maarten does have a bail system and it at the discretion of the court to make use of it. St. Maarten’s criminal code provides for that option in article 111”, Jeroen Kuipers said.
