PHILIPSBURG–Detained Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo is challenging his detention at the Philipsburg police station. He filed a court case at the Court of First Instance last week. The hearing took place on Tuesday afternoon and, according to information obtained by The Daily Herald, Mingo wants to be released because the pre-trial detention at the police station is inhumane.
Mingo was arrested at Princess Juliana International Airport SXM on Wednesday, June 7, while checking in. He has been detained for 13 days and his pre-trial detention was recently extended by the court. The brief hearing that took place on Tuesday was handled by Mingo’s lawyer Charles Rutte of HBN Law. The judge listened to both sides’ arguments and will decide on Mingo’s request at a later date.
Mingo’s arrest is in connection with the “Emerald” investigation. He was set to go on a business trip when authorities escorted him out of the Airport building.
According to Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Norman Serphos, the investigative team comprising the Anti-Corruption Team TBO and Kingdom Detectives Cooperation Team RST under the leadership of the judge also commissioned a search of Mingo’s house.
The Emerald investigation was launched in April 2016 when Checkmate Security owner O’Neal Arrindell was suspected of forgery, money-laundering and tax evasion. The Port St. Maarten and Checkmate offices were searched in November 2016. Arrindell was arrested already in this case and some of his property was seized.
The investigation is part of a larger investigation into fraud and corruption, also called subversive crime, considered a serious threat for the security and economy of the countries of the Dutch Caribbean. TBO, RST, the national detectives of Curaçao and St. Maarten and the Prosecutor’s Office are all partners in combatting subversive crime.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/67016-mingo-files-court-case-for-detention-release
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