WILLEMSTAD - The five suspects in the Girasol case were released yesterday. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) reported this. The Public Prosecution says it disagrees with the release and it will appeal against it to the Court.
On September 4, the five were arrested in connection with money laundering. There was also forgery and fraud with subsidies. The arrests were made at four different addresses in Van Engelen, Kwartier and Sunset Heights. Four luxury cars, cash and documents were seized.
The OM says that in the interest of the investigation it is necessary to extend the pre-trial detention of the suspects by at least 8 days. The Public Prosecution Service has indicated that there is more than a reasonable suspicion of guilt and that there are sufficient grounds to keep the suspects behind bars longer pending the investigation.
This concerns, among other things, the risk of collusion (the danger that suspects will frustrate the investigation and, for example, influence witnesses), and the legal order due to the seriousness of the criminal offenses that have probably been committed, according to the OM.
The Public Prosecution Service finds the imposed prohibition on contact inadequate and will appeal this decision to the Court.