PHILIPSBURG--Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Silvio Matser has been arrested on suspicion of election fraud (vote buying). The investigation, code named “Octopus,” is still ongoing and more arrests and house searches are said to be in the offing.
Spokesman for Attorney-General’s Office Norman E. Serphos confirmed to The Daily Herald that three people with initials S.M., E.F. and R.K, were arrested early this morning.
While Serphos only disclosed the initials of those arrested, it is understood that R.K. is former police officer Rogelio Koeiman, who has had several brushes with the law.
The Attorney-General launched a fact-finding investigation in October 2014, following the August Parliamentary Elections.
“Octopus” became a criminal investigation in May 2015 and with that step it is understood that the MP, who was elected on the slate of the United People’s (UP) party, became a suspect.
The National Detectives have been in charge of “Octopus” and sought the cooperation of the St. Maarten Police and the Kingdom Cooperation Team RST to conduct this morning’s searches and arrests.
Matser’s arrest stalled the debate in Parliament on the draft 2016 budget. He is a member of the Coalition of Eight which supports the current William Marlin Cabinet. Without Matser to sign in for the meeting, the Coalition was unable to muster the needed minimum eight signatures for the meeting to proceed to the second round of debate.
