WILLEMSTAD – The case against former Member of Parliament Michelangelo “Lo” Martines will be handled pro forma in court on February 28 at 2:00 PM. His lawyers, Eldon “Peppi” Sulvaran and Marije Vaders, have repeatedly requested that his case be fully addressed. However, the court schedule lists the hearing as a pro forma session.
Martines has been in custody since November 5, 2024, on suspicion of drug trafficking and money laundering as part of the BLEDA criminal investigation. The Public Prosecutor’s Office alleges that the suspected crimes occurred in 2019, 2020, and 2023.
A pro forma hearing is a procedural session where the court reviews the progress of a case without delving into its substance. These hearings are typically held when an investigation is still ongoing or when additional evidence needs to be gathered. During such a session, both the prosecution and defense may submit requests, such as extending or terminating pretrial detention.
Martines argues that the Public Prosecutor’s Office has had two years to investigate him and that he has now been detained for four months. He believes that the prosecution has had sufficient time to present the full case in court and formulate a sentence demand. If the Public Prosecutor’s Office insists on proceeding with a pro forma hearing, his lawyers will demand his release.
Recently, Martines once again expressed his frustration on his Facebook page, claiming that he is the victim of fraud, deception, and irregularities simply because he aligned himself with a social government. According to him, documents were falsified to justify his detention, and all his bank accounts—both local and international—have been frozen.