WILLEMSTAD – In a high-profile appeal case, the Public Prosecutor's Office on Thursday demanded prison sentences and professional bans for two Curaçao police officers, Gregoy “Chayenne” Gonzales and Sheryl Emelina, who are accused of years of corruption and abuse of power within the Curaçao Police Force (KPC).
The prosecution is seeking a 24-month prison sentence for Gonzales, with 6 months suspended, and a five-year ban from law enforcement. For Emelina, the demand is 24 months as well, with 12 months suspended and a three-year probation period, along with a similar five-year professional ban.
According to the prosecution, between November 2016 and March 2022, both officers accepted money, gifts, and other benefits from businessman Francillon, in exchange for facilitating firearm licenses and other official documents. The benefits allegedly included checks ranging from 1,200 to 10,000 guilders, totaling over 15,000 guilders. Francillon was previously convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for setting fire to the tax office.
Gonzales, who was acting head of the Special Laws Department at the time, was originally sentenced to 240 hours of community service. The court found he had accepted money from Francillon but acquitted him of abuse of office. The prosecution had initially demanded three years in prison and a professional ban. Emelina, meanwhile, was given 30 hours of community service for lending money with interest without a license, but was acquitted of bribery, forgery, and accepting gifts such as airline tickets and meals. She had also faced an original demand of three years, with one year suspended.
Appeal Defense
In the appeal, both officers denied wrongdoing. Emelina claimed she used personal earnings and overtime pay to financially help friends and relatives, and only later realized this conflicted with her position. She said she had since handed over the activity to her son and denied accepting bribes or forging documents for Francillon.
Gonzales argued the money received from Francillon and his cousin was intended as political campaign donations. He maintained he had not broken any rules, emphasized that he operated under superior oversight, and explained that the checks were not made out to any specific political party—something he claimed not to see as problematic. He added that related invoices were lost during a move.
However, the Public Prosecutor's Office countered that both officers had violated their duties as public servants and severely damaged public trust. “They were the face of an important department, but they gravely betrayed that responsibility,” said the Solicitor General.
The Court will deliver its verdict at a later date.
