WILLEMSTAD - The Supreme Court in the Netherlands has confirmed the conviction of the well-known Curaçaoan photographer Humbert Welvaart, requiring him to serve a four-year prison sentence. The decision upholds the earlier judgment of the Court in Willemstad, regarding Welvaart's involvement in the importation of 16 kilograms of cocaine and influencing a witness.
The case against Humbert Welvaart, owner of the boat 'El Capo' used to transport the drugs, garnered national attention after he was initially acquitted. However, the Court in Willemstad ruled differently on appeal, and now the Supreme Court has affirmed this judgment.
The Supreme Court rejected the cassation grounds aimed at the convictions for both drug importation and influencing a witness. A crucial element in the conviction was Welvaart's instruction to a witness to "get rid of" his phone, not only obstructing technical examination but also preventing questions about the contents of the phone. Welvaart said, "Getting rid of the thing will strangle him," which the Court interpreted as a clear attempt to manipulate witness statements.
The Court emphasized that the selection and evaluation of evidence fall within the competence of the trial judge. Particularly noteworthy in this case is the interpretation of intercepted conversations, which, according to the Court, unequivocally demonstrate that Welvaart not only knew about the drug importation but was also actively involved in attempts to influence witness statements.
"The judgment of the court that there is an influence on the freedom of a witness to give a statement is clear and convincingly motivated," said the Supreme Court. This rejects Welvaart's claim of ignorance about the cargo and his attempt to influence witnesses.