PHILIPSBURG–United Democrats Member of Parliament (MP) elect Chanel Brownbill remained silent throughout his Court hearing in the Emerald case on Thursday morning.
The Prosecutor’s Office is accusing Brownbill of having failed to declare income and turnover tax for US $1,262,078 in invoices paid by the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies to Country Construction company’s bank account. These payments were allegedly made between 2009 and 2016.
The Prosecutor called for a prison sentence of 18 months and payment of a conditional fine of NAf. 250,000, on two years’ probation. The Court will present its decision in this case via video-conferencing on April 17.
The Prosecutor’s Office called for a higher prison sentence for Brownbill compared with the other suspects in this case, who are facing 15-month prison sentences.
The Prosecutor held it against the MP, who while obtaining a Government salary of NAf. 12,000 per month “for a part-time job,” had failed to pay one cent in taxes.
“He does not provide one syllable in explaining himself while he has to answer in public,” the Prosecutor said.
Even though Brownbill will not be prosecuted for fraud, the Prosecutor said the Emerald case “unfortunately” fits in the “image of fraud and corruption” on the island, and “especially in the construction business.”
The Prosecutor’s Office also called for a higher sentence, because after Irma a lot of money is being spent on construction. “The money needs to be paid properly and should not end up in the wrong pockets. That’s the signal we want to give,” the Prosecutor said.
Brownbill’s attorney pleaded with the Court to declare the Prosecutor’s case against her client inadmissible.
The defence also made an appeal to the so-called repentance regulation (inkeerregeling) for taxpayers who had failed to file for taxes but were willing to settle the matter out of Court.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, however, Brownbill had started the process too late and at the time when he was already a suspect in the criminal case.
Besides, the tax papers submitted to the tax office did not concern Brownbill’s construction company but a sports bar, the Prosecutor said.
Bron: Daily Herald