PHILIPSBURG—In connection with the arrest of Port of St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo on Wednesday by the Anti-Corruption Team TBO and Kingdom Detectives Cooperation Team RST, authorities closed and searched the offices of the Harbour Group of Companies on Thursday morning.

Workers were told to leave the executive building.

There are no ships in port until Saturday, giving officials enough time to search the premises. Mingo’s arrest is in connection with the “Emerald” case.

The Emerald investigation was launched in April 2016 when Checkmate Security owner O’Neal Arrindell was suspected of forgery, money-laundering and tax evasion. Both the harbor and Checkmate offices were searched in November 2016. Arrindell was arrested already in this case and some of his property was seized.

The probe is part of a larger investigation into fraud and corruption, also called subversive crime, considered a serious threat to the security and economy of the countries of the Dutch Caribbean.

Chief Operations Officer Richard van der Mark and Chief Financial Officer Ton van Kooten continue to run the day-to-day operations of the Port of St. Maarten

Bron: Daily Herald