Court orders multi-million guilder repayment in ‘Seabass’ fraud case

The Court of First Instance ruled on Thursday, June 12, 2025, in the ‘Seabass’ deprivation case, ordering former Sint Maarten government employees M.D. and J.L. to repay millions in fraudulently obtained public funds. The court had previously found in December 2024 that M.D., while holding a government position, manipulated the awarding of IT contracts to two companies covertly controlled by himself and J.L. To conceal their involvement, one company was registered under the name of M.D.’s sister and the other under that of J.L.’s then-wife. In the deprivation ruling, the Court ordered M.D. to repay Cg 4,453,818.14 and J.L. Cg 402,783.43. The Court fully adopted the financial calculation presented by the Prosecutor’s Office Sint Maarten OM SXM during the proceedings. OM SXM emphasizes that this case underscores the importance of transparency in public procurement and highlights the serious consequences of abusing public trust for personal gain. The Sea Bass case was investigated by the National Detectives which specialise in investigating criminal activities within the government, with a particular focus on civil servants. Source: Press Release