WILLEMSTAD – Former parliamentarian and political leader of KEM Michelangelo ‘Lo’ Martines has again insisted on his innocence, stating that he never used so-called SKY encrypted phones. Martines made the statement on Thursday during the hearing of his appeal.
Martines was arrested in November 2024 and, a year later in November 2025, was sentenced by the Court of First Instance to seven years in prison. The court found it proven that he was involved in multiple drug trafficking operations and in laundering approximately two million guilders. According to the ruling, Martines played an organizing and coordinating role in cocaine shipments between Curaçao, Panama and Europe.
In its judgment, the court also emphasized that Martines committed the offenses while serving as a member of parliament, giving him a public role model function. That circumstance weighed heavily in the sentencing. The court further pointed to earlier convictions for drug trafficking in both Curaçao and the Netherlands.
Martines has consistently denied the allegations and immediately filed an appeal following the verdict. During the appeal hearing, he reiterated that he is innocent and denied ever having used SKY phones, which have featured prominently in international criminal investigations.
The case will continue on April 9, when the court will hold a preparatory hearing to determine the next steps in the appeal proceedings.