Richards suggests hearing more
witnesses in Derrick Holiday case
PHILIPSBURG--Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards has suggested that the Judge of Instruction should call additional witnesses to testify in the ongoing investigation regarding suspended Police Chief Commissioner Derrick Holiday.
Richards has to testify in this case today, Monday.
Justice Minister David also has to testify today. He arrived in St. Maarten Sunday morning.
Holiday was arrested by Federal Detectives on February 5. His trial was suspended on April 16 for an indefinite period to allow the investigating Judge time to hear witnesses. The trial will probably continue some time in August or September.
Holiday is suspected of involvement in signing 43 forged Immigration documents between April and August 2004, and of violating the Federal Ordinance on Admittance and Expulsion LTU between October and December 2006.
He will be charged further with forgery of documents between February 2004 and June 2007 to obtain a rent allowance from the Central Government to which he was not entitled.
Richards’ lawyer Maarten Le Poole, in a letter to the Judge of Instruction of which The Daily Herald managed to obtain a copy, said he hoped the judge would heed the suggestion to hear additional witnesses. Richards suggested that Chief of his Cabinet Ligia Stella and Police Commissioners Richard Panneflek and Ademar Doran be heard as additional witnesses. A copy of this letter was also sent to the Prosecutor’s Office and to Holiday’s lawyer Joeri Essed.
The fact that the Lt. Governor is suggesting that witnesses should be heard is unusual because, as a witness, he’s not a party in the criminal court case.
In an invited comment, Essed confirmed that he had received such a letter and said he also was of the opinion that the Lt. Governor’s request was out of the ordinary. However, he said, “It’s his right to do so. Nevertheless, the letter does show that the Lt. Governor has more than an average interest in the case.” Based on this, Essed said he was considering asking the Judge of Instruction to have the Lt. Governor testify under oath.
Two witnesses – Police Inspector Davnis Francisca and Donald Hughes, Director of Petrudon Architects and Construction and D&D Developers – will be heard by the Judge of Instruction on Tuesday in Chief Commissioner Holiday’s case.
Four other witnesses – former Lt. Governors Russell Voges and Dennis Richardson, former Acting Lt. Governor Mathias Voges, and Holiday’s secretary Beryl Henriquez – testified two weeks ago.
