PHILIPSBURG – The preliminary hearing in the CATFISH investigation, in which Member of Parliament Th.H., and co-suspect J.M.S. are the main suspects, will take place on Wednesday, November 28, 2018, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Suspects Th.H. and J.M.S. were in the meantime summoned by the Public Prosecutor’s Office this week, after receiving authority from the Joint Court of Justice to prosecute the Member of Parliament Th.H.
“Th.H. and J.S. are jointly charged with having attempted to bribe the former Member of Parliament R.J.L. during the period of September 1st, 2012 to July 25th, 2013. The suspicion is that Th.H. and J.M.S. made various promises to the former Member of Parliament R.J.L. with the pact that R.J.L. would give up his seat in Parliament, thus withdrawing support for the then Wescott-Williams II cabinet.
“Sums of money ranging from $135.000,00 to $250.000,00 to $350.000,00 was promised to R.J.L. A parcel of land along with a Ministerial post in the then new cabinet to be formed was also promised to R.J.L. All this if R.J.L. obliged to giving up his seat in Parliament.
“In addition to Th.H., J.M.S. and R.J.L., C.H.M. is also a suspect in the CATFISH investigation. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has not yet taken a decision on the prosecution of R.J.L. and C.H.M.
“During a preliminary hearing any wishes of the defense are discussed and thereafter a decision is taken by the judge. The content of the CATFISH investigation is expected to be meted out at the start of 2019,” the OM statement concludes.
Bron: SoualigaNewsDay