Philipsburg:--- The Police Internal Affairs is busy investigating a detective identified as Jerry Gerardus who was stopped by American Border Control on his way back to St. Maarten last week. SMN News learnt that the detective travelled to the United States with 11 other persons, all members of his family where they spent their summer vacation.The source said that the detective and his relatives claimed they gave a woman (Runella Nicholas) just over $300.00 each to buy return tickets from St. Maarten to the USA for the group. However, on their way back to the St. Maarten the American Border Control stopped them claiming they had phony tickets. The group was held for two days by the border control agency who eventually allowed them to purchase new tickets for each passenger to return to St. Maarten.
The source said the person who bought the tickets online concocted a deal where she managed to purchase the tickets at an extremely low price. Further investigations also revealed that the person who purchased the tickets for the group used a stolen credit card to make the purchase. No details on the owner of the credit card was revealed.
SMN News learnt that the detective in questioned filed charges against the person whom he claimed to have given the money to purchase the ticket for him and his relatives to travel. The prosecutor's office has issued an arrest warrant for the woman in question. Up to late Sunday the woman was not arrested.
SMN News further learnt that another detective questioned a woman identified as Runella Nicholas, a casino worker and alleged culprit who bought the tickets. The alleged culprit guaranteed the investigating detective that detective Jerry Gerardus will be reimbursed. The source said the detective failed to arrest Nicholas even though he knew that she purchased the tickets with a stolen credit card. The source said the suspect is a close friend of the wife of detective Jerry Gerardus.
However, the police internal affairs have launched an investigation into the detective's roll in purchasing the tickets for such a low price. The source said the police management team is trying to determine how the detective could hire someone who is not a travel agent or tour guide to purchase return tickets to St. Maarten for less than half of the regular price during the high season. If it is concluded that the detective (J.G) had any shady dealings with the purchase of the tickets then an advice will be sent to the Minister of Justice for disciplinary measures to be taken against detective Gerardus.
The Police Internal Affairs is also investigating Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson whom it is alleged tried to get one of his colleagues to tamper with evidence in a robbery investigation. SMN News learnt that a detective who has been identified as detective "Thomas" filed a complaint against Henson after Henson it is alleged approached him and asked him to remove certain information on a report he complied on a robbery investigation.
The source said someone filed a robbery complaint with the detective department and they pointed out that the getaway car that was used in the robbery matches the car that is driven by the son of the police spokesman. The source said the person who filed the complaint even told police where the vehicle is normally parked. "Henson allegedly approached Thomas, one of our younger detectives and told him to take the information out of his report because he has his son under control." The revelation of what the police spokesman allegedly did angered a number of his colleagues since Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson has been in police force for more than 30 years and most importantly he is a veteran detective that was spotless.
Earlier this year, the police arrested the younger Henson when a gun was found in his vehicle on Pond Island.
In an invited comment, Chief of Police Peter De Witte confirmed that an investigation in both cases is underway. De Witte refused to divulge any information in the ongoing investigations.
Police Internal Affairs is also busy conducting investigations into four other cases which involved Officers Joyce Hassel, officer Servania, as well as Ashwin Martin and brigadier Felix Richards. It should be noted that Ashwin Martin has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
