PHILIPSBURG--Robbie's Lottery manager Jacques de Castro (52) was sentenced Wednesday to 12 months suspended, with two years' probation for keeping an unlicenced firearm in a drawer of his office desk.
De Castro will also have to pay a NAf. 1,500 fine. In case he would not pay this fine, he would have to spend 60 days in prison.
His lawyers Eldon Sulvaran and Jairo Bloem had claimed the search of the lottery office was illegal and, therefore, the case against their client should be thrown out.
Judge Monique Keppels rejected this claim, and stated the documents which the defence lawyers had wanted to see concerned the cases against Robbie's Lottery's boss Robbie dos Santos, Caribbean Investment Group Ltd. and Jamaroma Lotteries NV.
The fact that the defence lawyers were not able to see these documents, therefore, did not constitute a violation of their client's rights, the Judge stated.
Judge Keppels found it legally and convincingly proven De Castro had been in possession of a .380 calibre Jennings firearm and ammunition that were found during a search of the Robbie's Lottery office on Cannegieter Street on July 12, 2011.
Members of the Kingdom Detective Cooperation Team RST paid a visit to Robbie's Lottery headquarters as part of a major investigation headed by RST and assisted by the Intelligence and Investigations Team (TIO) of the Foundation Tax Accountants Bureau in connection with an investigation into money-laundering, tax fraud and forgery in Curaçao and St. Maarten.
The so-called "Bientu" investigation, which was launched in 2008, also focused on Caribbean Investment Group and Jamaroma.
De Castro, who was held for 10 days, was not charged with involvement in any financial crimes.
Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/27193-lottery-manager-sentenced-for-gun-.html
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