The Judge of First Instance delivered his verdict. The judge condemns two suspects in the “Jasmine” investigation. Nearly 239,000 florins that entered via government projects fraudulently given to a company of the ex-chief of cabinet of VROMI, Marisha Richardson, and her partner, Jeffrey Bremer, were subsequently withdrawn in cash or sent to a second person. A new verdict in the “Jasmine” corruption investigation thus shows how the bidding fraud in Sint Maarten had a financial side: after the money entered the company account, it was converted and distributed. Verdict in the criminal cases against M.R. and J.E.B., the last suspects in the investigation known as “Jasmine.” Both suspects were convicted of co-perpetration of fraud and money laundering. M.R. was also convicted of abuse of position/function. M.R., a public official, was sentenced to a prison term of 16 months, of which 6 months are suspended, with a probation period of two years. Her right to serve as a public official was also revoked for a period of five years. J.E.B. was sentenced to 240 hours of community service and a suspended prison sentence of 6 months, with a probation period of two years. The judge imposed lower penalties than those demanded by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, partly because the judicial process lasted longer than the stipulated reasonable time.
Irregularities in Government Projects The cases were about irregularities in the awarding and execution of different government projects after Hurricane Irma. At that time, M.R. was Chief of Cabinet at the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI). She also had a 50% interest in the company to which the projects were awarded. J.E.B. had the other half of the shares in the same company. The projects concerned:
• Prince Bernhard Bridge
• Repair of roadside barriers and railings
• A basketball court
• Emergency repairs to Keys Bridge in Sucker Garden
Falsification and False Procedure The judge established that the suspects, together with others, created a false image of competitive bidding procedures. This included the use of falsified quotations to make it look like multiple companies gave bids. After this, the projects were given to the company that M.R. and J.E.B. had together. The cases against M.R. and J.E.B. formed part of the broader “Jasmine” investigation regarding irregularities surrounding the granting of permits and public procurement. On March 26, 2026, the judge already delivered a sentence against three other suspects in the same investigation. The “Jasmine” investigation was executed by the National Detective Agency of Sint Maarten (LrSXM) and the Kingdom Cooperation Team (RST), under the direction of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
What can the “Jasmine” case signify for politicians and civil servants in Aruba to take as an example to keep in mind?