WILLEMSTAD - Curaçaoan criminal Urvin "Nuto" Wawoe, a prime suspect in various serious offenses, appeared last week via video link before the Court of First Instance in Curaçao. Wawoe is currently being held in the high-security prison in Vught, Netherlands. The session took place under heightened security, with a significant number of arrest team members present in the courtroom in Curaçao, even though Wawoe himself remained in the Netherlands.
The case against Wawoe, who is also known as one of the leaders of the infamous criminal organization No Limit Soldiers (NLS), includes fourteen charges. These range from murder and attempted murder to drug trafficking and money laundering. The Public Prosecutor's Office alleges that Wawoe led a criminal organization involved in assassinations and attacks between January 2014 and February 2021. Alongside other NLS members, he is accused of ordering multiple murders, including the notorious shooting at Hato Airport.
Charges
In the Ceto case, Wawoe is accused of complicity in the murder of Erwin Juliana, alias ‘Junni Djais,’ who was shot dead on July 15, 2014, at Curaçao's airport. According to the indictment, Wawoe allegedly instructed Judrin M. and Adrian M. to carry out the murder using automatic firearms.
Wawoe is also accused of ordering the killing of Shentley Arnhem, alias ‘Champi,’ who was murdered in the same incident and in a similarly violent manner. Seven bystanders were injured during this shooting.
In the Triton case, Wawoe is held responsible for the murder of Kevin Metura in Sint Maarten on February 7, 2016. The Public Prosecutor's Office claims Wawoe ordered this murder as an act of revenge, believing Metura was involved in the killing of Latoya Flanders, an associate of Wawoe.
Through secure messages, Wawoe allegedly instructed co-defendant Tyson Quant to kill Metura.
Another charge involves an attempted murder of Kimoy Gumbs in Sint Maarten on April 8, 2016. The accusation states that Wawoe, along with others, ordered Gumbs' execution due to his alleged involvement in the Flanders murder. However, this attempt was unsuccessful.
In the Ares case, Wawoe is accused of ordering the murder of Omar Jones in Sint Maarten on August 31, 2016. Jones was also allegedly involved in Flanders' death. In this instance, Wawoe is said to have paid an unspecified sum of money to the hitmen.
The Hebe case involves a double attempted murder on brothers Marini and Thaddeus Nunes in November 2016 in Sint Maarten. Wawoe allegedly offered suspect K. Fortune, alias "Cuchi," money and possibly drugs to kill the brothers, who were also suspected of involvement in Flanders' murder.
Finally, Wawoe is charged with the murder of "Nino Brown" and the attempted murder of Estevan Severe on March 14, 2017, in Sint Maarten, again in connection with the Flanders case. Both victims were reportedly targeted due to the information they had about Wawoe's organization's crimes.
Legal Proceedings
Wawoe’s lawyers, Mr. Muuren in the Netherlands and Ms. Alicia Blonk in Curaçao, have requested the court to suspend his detention. However, the Public Prosecutor argues that there is sufficient reason to keep the suspect in custody, given the severity of the numerous charges against him.
Wawoe has been in detention for nineteen months and will remain in custody following this session. A new preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 17, where the court will review the progress of the investigation and the findings of the defense lawyers.
The court expects the full trial to commence in early June 2025. The proceedings are expected to take several days to allow ample time for the defense's arguments. During the session, Wawoe once again denied any involvement in the alleged murder orders.