Prosecutor’s Office on illegal proceeds from crime: Crime does not pay

July 26, 2017

GREAT BAY—The Prosecutor’s Office has made it clear it will be actively executing court orders to repay illegal proceeds from crime. In a press release issued yesterday, the Prosecutor’s Office said during the last few years, the Court of First Instance in St. Maarten ordered suspects in various cases to repay to the Country of St. Maarten the illegal proceeds from their crimes. “Some of these court orders and verdicts are now irrevocable. According to the laws of the Country of St. Maarten, the execution of court orders and criminal verdicts – amongst those court orders to repay illegal proceeds from crime – is an important task of the Public Prosecutor’s Office,” the prosecutor’s office said.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office is urging those persons involved to come forward to voluntarily repay the criminal proceeds. If payment at once proves to be impossible, the Prosecutor’s Office is willing to discuss the possibility to engage in a repayment plan. “If, in due time, the persons involved will not have come forward voluntarily, the Public Prosecutor’s Office will actively engage those persons to repay the illegal proceeds from the crimes they were convicted for,” the release said.
“In executing these court orders, the Public Prosecutor’s Office may – together with local law enforcement agencies – seize assets of the convicted persons or arrest the convicted persons to execute the custodial prison sentence.
In order to avoid such measures, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is urging the persons involved to come forward voluntarily as soon as possible. Crimes does not pay,” the release concluded.