The public learned in Tuesday’s paper of a probable reason no decision has yet been taken about the conditional release of casino boss Francesco Corallo pending his hearing on an extradition request from Italy. It appears Government owes close to US $200,000 in maintenance and upgrade fees for 25 electronic surveillance ankle bracelets purchased in 2015.
Last week the prosecution stated it had no objections to the idea of electronic monitoring of the suspect instead of his continued detention. However, the Court had to check with the Prosecutor’s Office whether this was feasible.
It now turns out the ankle bracelets are no longer being used. A contract that former Justice Minister Edson Kirindongo and currently non-active Pointe Blanche prison Director Edward Rohan reportedly signed is allegedly not being honoured by St. Maarten.
As a result, local personnel also have not received the necessary training on the new, updated platform. The provider says applying its system saves about US $6,000 per month or $72,000 per year for each inmate released in this manner.
While it’s true that the arrangement was not made by current Justice Minister Rafael Boasman, Government is continuity and he is still responsible for complying with agreements entered into by predecessors. Moreover, there exists e-mail traffic between his office and the company indicating, at the very least, awareness of the problem.
Perhaps Rohan’s leave of absence also has something to do with it, but the country seems best served by settling this outstanding matter. It may not make a big difference at this point for Corallo, as a ruling on his extradition is expected soon, but considering the structural shortage of cells these bracelets could certainly bring some much-needed relief to an overcrowded penitentiary.
