|
|
|
 |
|
|
Piar, De Vrieze, Sprok to testify in Merx case
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Apr 5, 2006 15:43 UTC
|
PHILIPSBURG - Attorney General Dick Piar, Prosecutor Johan de Vrieze and Acting Prosecutor Ludwina Sprok are to be heard as witnesses in the court case against former chief prosecutor of the Windward Islands Cor Merx.
The Judge ordered that these three witnesses be heard prior to the next court hearing in this case on June 13. He further decided to lift restrictions that had been placed on Merx.
Merx is standing trial on charges of having committed forgery and of having used falsified documents. These criminal acts are punishable with a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, but Merx said during the first court hearing in his case two weeks ago that he had made a deal with the Prosecutor’s Office that he would not be prosecuted if he resigned and left St. Maarten, which he did in April 2005.
The Prosecutor’s Office alleges that Merx made use of his position as a prosecutor to obtain data concerning telephone contact between his ex-girlfriend and her alleged lover. Merx did not deny these allegations, but stated that the final report of the investigation into his case was not correctly made up.
Merx and his lawyer Jairo Bloem filed a request two weeks ago to hear 11 witnesses, including Merx’s ex-girlfriend and Attorney General in The Hague Dato Steenhuis.
Judge Rick Smid ruled Tuesday that it would be unnecessary to call to the witness stand all persons mentioned by the lawyer. He made an exception in the case of Attorney General Dick Piar.
Piar was involved in talks about Merx’s departure and is expected to have knowledge about what transpired before Merx left St. Maarten.
According to Merx’s lawyer, the authorities already knew of Merx’s alleged criminal behaviour prior to his departure for the Netherlands and remarks made by his superiors led Merx to believe he would not be prosecuted.
Piar provided the Court with a fax message in which he stated that no promises had been made to drop charges, but the Judge deemed further explanation necessary, the reason Piar has to be questioned by a Judge of Instruction.
The name of Prosecutor Johan de Vrieze is mentioned in a document that, according to the indictment, should be considered false. Therefore, it is reasonable to also hear De Vrieze as a witness concerning the facts and circumstances under which this document was made, the Judge indicated.
The third witness who will be heard by the Judge of Instruction is Ludwina Sprok. She was Head of the Administration and Secretary at the Prosecutor’s Office at the time, and may also have been involved in the forging of documents, Bloem contended.
Bloem said Tuesday that a civil procedure would be launched against the Judge’s decision not to hear the other eight witnesses.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Content © The Daily Herald 2006 - All Rights Reserved.
You may bookmark this web page, print it or e-mail it to
a friend in accordance with the fair-use provisions of
copyright laws. The material is intended solely for the use
of the individual user.
Archiving, redistribution, or republication of this
material
on other terms, in any medium, requires the express
written permission of the author or publication and the
notification of the editors of Caribseek News. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
