Appeal Court renders verdict in Councilman Laveist case

Written by Staff Reporter

Thursday, 11 February 2010 18:50

www.sxmislandtime.com

PHILIPSBURG - The appeal court of the Netherlands Antilles rendered their verdict on Thursday in the Louie Laveist trial.

In their verdict they sentenced the former Commissioner to a fine of 5000 guilders or 55 days in jail, a suspension from public office for three years, a suspended sentence of six month and a trial period of three years.

There were five charges in total against the Councilman, three were not proven and two were believed to have been proven by the appeal court.

The charges that were thrown out are one; that he committed forgery by changing the minutes of a meeting that was held in the Government building to change the name of a company.

The second was that he had defrauded AMFO and the third being that he had employed someone illegally at a barber shop which it was believed that he had owned at the time.

The appeal court in their verdict also said that it was proven that the Councilman accepted bribes. One being that he accepted a plane ticket and money for a trip to New York and that he accepted 6,000 dollars to issue work documents for Bargains Unlimited.

It is not clear at this time if the councilman will appeal this ruling.

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Louis you are free to roam

|200.7.56.xxx |2010-02-11 13:35:00

It is a very interesting judgement. Louie you made a good move to appeal, which
brough a reduction in your sentence. Now I would like Cor Merx to explain the
technicality on which Louie sentence went from 6 mnt conditional, to 6 month
unconditional. You see the judges actually wanted to give Lavest 6 months in
jail. According to his lawyer Merx, his defence was so good that the judges
took into consideration one techincal aspect, which did not follow the rules of
investigating a suspect. What that technical thing is maybe serve us all if the
defense could explain in detail. I'm sure Mr Merx's success will score him
points with other clients in the future, but for now an explaination of what the
RST did wrong would make us all wiser.

Wow	\|200.7.50.xxx \|2010-02-11 14:02:08

I am left with a bitter taste in my mouth. A fine of NAFLS. 5.000,00? What
example does this set for our youth? While I whish no one ill fate and I cannot
say that I am sorry that he will not be jailed, it makes sense to me to commit
fraud. While he took US$ 6.000,00 he only has to pay back US$ 2.800,00 thereby
making a profit of US$ 3.100,00 Not bad, so why work and why be honest. Seems
like crime does pay and honesty is a thing of the past.

A word of advise to
the new Comm. of Labor, learn from Loui's mistakes. Power is a hard thing to
handle and it takes a real man to resist temptations. Instead of trying to
crucify someone for doing their job to the best of their ability, please try to
learn from those who have much more "positive" experience than you. And
for ctrying out loud "Don't take bribes" and stop trying to do favors
for friends and associates or you too will be disgraced. Equality for all, let
everyone follow "proper" procedures.

EK	\|200.7.53.xxx \|2010-02-11 23:52:08

You took the words right out of my mouth. Certain crimes do pay.

citizen

|200.7.53.xxx |2010-02-11 16:19:04

Thank you Jesus. I am glad that Lou Lou did not get any jail time. All the rest
can be seen as material things, even thne fine that he has to pay. Thank you
Jesus, Thank you Jesus. LOU doesnot know me, but the unfairness in his case
caused by others. Watch out LOU for the future who you accept as friends. To
tell you the truth do not trust no one but yourself. I do that all the time.
Others are only your downfall. Hard and bad times the so-called friends forsake
you. Keep your head up high. You will come back and even stronger, wait and see.
Life is not over! Thank you Jesus.

HAPPY

|201.220.15.xxx |2010-02-11 17:46:14

Louie I am happy for you boy. At least you admitted that you made some mistakes
and that you would rise again.
Cor did a good defence. Louie hold tight and
never trust people like Maria and Sarah dem again. Thank God the judges ain't
take away your rights to run for office. Hold tight and make sure and go church
me boi.

To: Louis you are free to roam

|200.7.60.xxx |2010-02-11 18:11:33

First of all: Laveist has been convicted for the most sincere accusation, namely
accepting a bribe for permit(s) in return. Secondly: the Court'verdict seems
lenient, given the conclusion a donation was accepted for a permit in return.
Third: the court does not take into account that the Landsrecherche (not RST,
but with some financial support of RST) only had limited capacity to investigate
various amounts of accusations. If irregularities would have occured issueing
bus licenses, the Court never knew. Fourth: the Court considered Laveist's
regrets as being sincere. The court did not notice this sincerety came very
late. During negotiations with both DP and NA during the transfer period, I was
not aware of any regrets. Laveist has proven to be a skillful negotiator when
both DP and NA desired his support. Fifth: the facts proven should keep Laveist
out of office for a while. He basically is contaminated, or should be so.

But hey, welcome to St. Maarten

Yeah DP

|200.26.216.xxx |2010-02-12 01:47:52

Yeah DP,
You bitter. But that is how it is and you cannot do anything about it.
Loui will rise again. Mistakes are there for everyone to make, and he admitted
that he made some. Only God is perfect. Now case closed wether you continue to
comment negatively or not. And a word to the person defending Loui on the blogs,
do not worry to answer anymore. Let them comment and answer themselves please.
It makes no difference, and it is a waste of time. Loui will survive anyway.
Done with it. We moving on positively now. Take Care Loui, it is over. Deal with
your stuff, and start over. No problem there. Claude Wathey, Rene Richardson,
Ralph Richardson, Frank Arnell, Al Wathey everybody survived and are doing fine,
why shouldn't you. God Bless.

to wow

|72.252.9.xxx |2010-02-11 18:28:51

You sound like a big international jackass, that is working for the dp. All the
charges should have been drop, because he did nothing wrong I would like to see
his name clear.It was explained. The judges had to please Mr OM if you know what
that means on a charge.

Louis god bless you, he has make a way for you when
there was no light at the end of the tunnel. He did it for Job, He did it for
David, he did it for those boys that was put in the furness to die and he will
do it for you. Trust him and seek his face daily, Just remeber he is the same
old time god. and rest asure the battle will be yours May god bless you, we will
pray because the battle has to be won 100%

And to you

|90.63.191.xxx |2010-02-11 23:38:34

Pull the shade from over YOUR eyes! Not because he probably "hooked" you
up with something, means he not guilty! They had so much things against him that
his slick talking and his lawyers know how on how to set criminals free got him
the reduced sentence, so either your education is low to honestly trust this
man, or he really 'hooked' you up good!
And to wow.........well, I honestly
hope this new Comm of labour learned from Louie mistake and not only that,
enforce the laws that are put into place to do his job!

EK	\|200.7.53.xxx \|2010-02-11 23:59:37

It is because people like you is why SXM has gone to the dogs and will go to
hell. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Bloody hell why can't we call a spade a
spade? This is why our youth are the way they are because we can't seem to
correct them when they are wrong so they cannot discern right from wrong
anymore. With your thinking and many others, I can see why when you all get in
power you get even more corrupted. It is because your all foundation are weak to
begin with.

born again christian

|200.7.55.xxx |2010-02-11 23:25:55

Thanks to all the well wishers. Time will tell for all the negative persons in
the LOUIE case or down fall. But LOUIE you will overcome all of the negative
things in life and I will continue to pray for you. All the negative persons
will slowly and surely burn burn burn. Take my words, it will or might take
even years for them. But what happened to you will and can also happen to them
or even in their family for generations. Sometimes very close to your dear
hearts. Never throw that stone to another who is in trouble because it can
happen to you also. No one is perfect. Not even judges who hand down stupid and
ignorant sentences. Never knowing what is what, but acting on hear say and
ruining persons life. Their time will come also even at heavens gate as there
will be no room in heaven for them. No matter how much they repent.

crime pays

|72.252.9.xxx |2010-02-12 01:05:00

What is that for a verdict .
He should have been banned for life and send to
jail. Thief and liar

Now he makes a profit still..

sxmboy

|190.102.4.xxx |2010-02-12 01:52:39

Louie is lucky.Why ? They left out an investigation into a (very) possible
bribery with regards to the newly Government Building which had to cost our
community more then 3 million dollars. A lot of people have heard about this
first hand from the project manager who got into conflict with Louie himself. It
seems that the prosecutor's office is looking only into the least important
matters. Nah St Maarten won't change with new country status as long as DP
supporten do not have a clue about proper governance and the same applies to the
NA who got back into politics thans to a convicted politician and an other DP
commissioner following the money of the developers. If we accept this nonsense
we should shut up about our lost youth and accept the crime we have asked for
because we simply do not care.....

To lenient.

|200.7.59.xxx |2010-02-12 01:57:28

To wow; You should have just kept silent, because you sound the biggest jackass.
You going on personal feelings and not the facts. you probably just want to say
something even if it makes no sense. I think the verdict is too lenient. He
should have done some jail time. He was a commissioner at the time, he took
bribes. The wrong message has been sent out to the public. Do a big wrong and
get a wrist slap. Even if it was two months in jail would have been a better
message. From all the charges, he is convicted of the most serious one. So all
you have to do is stay locked up in town and your a free man. Hahaha, funny
justice.

Mellow Yellow

|72.252.9.xxx |2010-02-12 02:44:41

To all who continues to condem Mr. Laveist, remember Claude, Rene, Ralph, Frank
and Al.
Except the deceased, these gentlemen are now functioning in
"welcome to St. Maarten" as law-abiding St. Maarteners.
As for bribes
through work permits, there is one other foundation who has manipulated the
system very skillfully, with their inside man. Have anyone noticed, except for
Carnival, how else were their funds raised?

storm in a tea cup

|72.252.11.xxx |2010-02-12 03:12:03

Louis, your faithfulls remain with you. God strength, you will be the Island
biggest vote getter in the next election. This is so an injustice. Louis hold
strong your glory days are coming. Lt first class RESPECT

BORN ST ROSE HOSPITAL

|72.252.9.xxx |2010-02-12 05:38:53

LISTEN TO YOU STUPID PEOPLE.IF IT WAS ME I WOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE MONEY THAN
THAT. I WOULD HAVE TAKEN AT LEAST A GOOD 1/2 A MILLION FROM THEM PEOPLE EACH.
LOUIE THAT WAS SMALL CHANGE. BUT I RESPECT IF YOU DID OR DID NOT DO THAT.
GOVERMENT NEED TO START TO PAY THIER WORKERS BETTER. NOW POLITICS IS ANOTHER
THING YOU WANT ME TO BACK YOU PAY ME.FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HATES THAT HE GOT SO
LITTLE TIME. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY A.. DON'T THROUGH
STONES CAUSE YOU GOING TO MISS AND BREAK YOUR OWN GLASS. LET ST MAARTEN BORN GET
HIS SHARE OF THE MONEY.MNO AND OTHER DUTCH COMPANIES COME ST MAARTEN AND
MAKE/TAKE ALL ST MAARTEN PEOPLE MONEY. YOU ALL TO JEALOUSE . LET HIM BE.

Hahaha

|200.6.147.xxx |2010-02-12 08:58:06

Thief from Thief make mokey laugh!! LOL!!

Last Updated on Thursday, 11 February 2010 22:58

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