WILLEMSTAD--Lottery boss Robbie Dos Santos was arraigned in Curaçao on Friday for sixteen offenses in the criminal case named "Bientu" (Wind).
The Prosecutor's Office indicated that the owner of Robbie's Lottery would fabricate his own lottery tickets and sell these. Nobody who bought them could then actually win.
They also accuse Dos Santos of large-scale money laundering and tax fraud. He allegedly did this with his three businesses The Money Game NV, Jamorama Lotteries NV (both on St. Maarten) and Administrative Bureau Dollar NV (in Curacao).
Other charges include illegal arms possession.
The pre-trial continues on Tuesday, December 22, when the court will decide on a number of requests from the defence and prosecution. The latter still wants to hear another 14 witnesses including two former MFK-ministers, former board- and management members of Curaçao's lottery organiser "Fundashon Wega di Number Kòrsou," the current tax inspector, a former tax director and customs chief, a local fiscal expert, the head of the tax accountant bureau and the Finance Ministry's director.
The defendant's lawyers don't agree with the latter as the investigation against their client has taken long enough. However, they themselves still want to hear a police inspector and a member of the kingdom detective cooperation team RST.
