Holiday arrested on
suspicion of forgery
OYSTER POND--The former head of the Windward Islands Police Force, Police Chief Commissioner Derrick Holiday, was arrested at his home in Oyster Pond around 6:45am Tuesday on suspicion of forgery in the Immigration Department.
His arrest jolted the entire island community, coming as it did only months after the arrest and subsequent conviction of Police Commissioner Marcel Loor. It was confirmed by Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein who said the top cop had been arrested as a result of an ongoing investigation into illegalities in the Immigration Department.
Word of Holiday’s arrest spread rapidly throughout the community. As it quickly became the day’s most talked about topic, the island’s rumour mill was activated with reports circulating that at least four other senior government functionaries had also been arrested. These rumours were all scotched by Stein last night.
Stein said that at the time of investigating former chief immigration officer Police Commissioner Marcel Loor on charges of forgery and accepting bribes, investigators had become suspicious that Holiday could be connected to the same or similar illegalities.
The arresting party, which included Curaçao Prosecutor Marten Hemelaar, the judge of instruction, a court recorder and approximately 10 “Federal Detectives” assisted by members of the Kingdom Detective Cooperation Team RST, arrived at Holiday’s home in seven cars and notified him of the warrant for his arrest.
One resident of the area who witnessed the police operation told The Daily Herald several of the vehicles had French-side number plates and wondered whether that was permissible under the law.
After being given about 10 to 15 minutes to prepare himself, Holiday was escorted away by two Federal Detectives who took him to the Pointe Blanche prison. There he was interrogated about documents indicating that certain procedures approved by him were being enforced illegally.
Documents and computers from his house and from his office at the police station in Philipsburg and his personal vehicle were confiscated by the detectives.
According to legal procedure, Holiday should have been held for only six hours from the time he was incarcerated at the Pointe Blanche prison, which was around 7:30am. However, due to the lengthy interrogation a decision was made to prolong his detention.
Holiday’s arrest came as a shock to many, as it had been announced over the weekend that Minister of Justice David Dick had decided to reassign him to the Directorate of Justice Affairs for two years during which he would be made available to the Minister of Justice and tasked with assisting St. Maarten in setting up its judicial system.
Holiday did not resist his arrest and, although somewhat emotional, calmly cooperated with the detectives. His brother Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company PJIAE President Eugene Holiday and several other family members arrived outside his home while the investigating officers were still there, but were not allowed to enter the premises until the search had been completed.
Reports reaching this newspaper said several female staff members of the Police Force had become very emotional, shedding tears when informed of Holiday’s arrest.
According to Stein, Holiday could face up to a maximum of seven years in prison if proven guilty of forgery.
Holiday had been head of the Police Force of the Windward Islands since 2000. He oversaw 200 police and Immigration officers in St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba. He was the supervisor of Loor, who was sentenced to four years in prison last year for accepting bribes for the provision of false entry documents to at least 10 foreign workers between 2004 and 2007.
