PHILIPSBURG – February 15th of 2017 marks exactly one year since the escape of K. Fortune, aka “Kuchi”. The Prosecutor’s Office and KPSM is announcing that this investigation is still ongoing and that a reward of Nafls 5,000.– will be given to anyone for information that could lead to the arrest of “Kuchi”.
It is also important to remind the entire community that being helpful to K. Fortune, aka “Kuchi” in hiding or escaping from justice is punishable.
The Prosecutor’s Office and KPSM are requesting anyone who has information that could lead to the arrest of K. Fortune, aka “Kuchi” to immediately inform their Community police officers or call 542-2222 ext 214, 215 or the anonymous tip line # 9300.
On February 15th 2016, around 03.30 p.m. the message came in at the Central Police Dispatch that the detainee K. Fortune, aka “Kuchi”, born on October 14th, 1977 on the island of Grenada, who is sentenced to imprisonment for murder at the House of Detention in Point Blanche, had escaped from the prison guards, who had taken him for a doctor’s visit in Cay Hill.
Immediately, a criminal investigation was launched headed by the Prosecutor’s Office code-named “SWORDFISH”. This criminal investigation consists of two separate parts, namely one part conducted by the KPSM and the other by National Detectives Agency (“Landsrecherche”) of St. Maarten. The investigation team from the KPSM namely focuses on the search and re-arrest of K. Fortune aka “Kuchi”.
The “SWORDFISH” investigation is still ongoing and since the beginning of the investigation several raids, arrests and interrogations were done. A local press campaign was held. The investigation team has responded to incoming information; however this did not lead to the arrest of “Kuchi”.