WILLEMSTAD - The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has demanded a prison term of 24 months against the four convicted in the Lacerta case. That is lower than previously demanded.

Roderick van Kwartel, former director of Refineria di Korsou (RdK) was previously sentenced to three years in prison. The three others were sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Photo: Van Kwartel

The Attorney General of the Court finds a prison sentence of two years sufficient, because according to the Public Prosecution Service, the case had a major impact on the personal lives of the four convicts.

Lacerta concerns the conviction of the former Rdk director; ex-RdK consultant Ashley Isidora; and former RdK employees Gilbert Gregory Cijntje and Michèle Mario Kinburn.

The four were sentenced in February 2020. They have been found guilty of asking for bribes in the process of a search for a new strategic partner for the Isla refinery. In July and August 2018, according to the court, they requested at least five million dollars in bribes from Colas Bos and Jeffrey Bollebakker of the company Count Energy Trading bv, which participated in the tender process for a new strategic partner for the refinery.

"To this end, the four suspects organized several private meetings with the representatives of this company, outside the official tender team, which they kept secret from RdK," said the Court of First Instance.

The hearing of the appeal case started at 9 a.m. and lasted a whole day. The court will rule in three weeks.