WILLEMSTAD – The Joint Court of Justice has upheld the conviction of a 51-year-old former police officer from Curaçao who was found guilty of multiple criminal offenses, including customs fraud and the theft of water and electricity.
According to the ruling on appeal, the former officer was convicted on five criminal charges stemming from an investigation that began in 2021 after utility company Aqualectra discovered illegal utility connections at her residence.
The court found that the woman had tampered with water and electricity connections to illegally obtain utility services.
The ruling further states that when Aqualectra employees later returned to the property because of additional irregularities involving the utility meters, the former police officer threatened them with death.
According to the court, she also threatened to place a bomb if utility personnel returned to the residence.
In addition to the utility-related offenses, the court concluded that the former officer committed customs fraud involving 104 invoices in an attempt to pay lower import duties.
When determining the sentence, the court said it considered the fact that the defendant had previously served as a police officer and therefore held a position responsible for upholding the law.
The judges also took into account that the woman had already spent approximately three years suspended from duty at home while awaiting the outcome of the criminal proceedings.
As a result, the court decided she would not have to return to prison.
The former police officer was sentenced to a five-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to complete 150 hours of community service.