Former MP Brison faces prosecution for taking bribes – StMaartenNews.com – News Views Reviews

PHILIPSBURG — The Public Prosecutor’s Office intends to prosecute former parliamentarian Rolando Brison. It has charged him in its Lissabon-investigation with accepting bribes to the tune of more than $92,000 in exchange for efforts to promote crypto currency as legal tender and to make crypto exempt from capital gains tax. So far, those efforts have brought no results.

Prosecutors also want to drag the parties who paid the bribes to court. Among them are Robbie dos Santos, Johan Alex Dijkhoffz and a businessman only identified as S.L.G. (Sunil Gehani, ed.), who is seemingly linked to business interests in St. Maarten and St. Kitts. Dijkhoffz is a former chairman of the supervisory board of directors at the Princess Juliana International Airport Holding and Operating Company. Brison allegedly looked after the interests of Adonis Hotel at the behest of Dijkhoffz.

Brison maintains his innocence and during a preliminary court hearing successfully demanded the release of the complete messages from platforms like Whatsapp and Signal that incriminate him. Brison claims that prosecutors only used parts of these messages to make him look guilty.

On March 17, 2023, Brison was detained for a day while his home and his office at the parliament building were searched. He was released after one day because there was no place to put him behind bars in the Pointe Blanche prison.

According to a report on dossierkoninkrijksrelaties.nl Brison had to promote the interest of the Adonis Hotel in Cupecoy and the introduction of a tourism tax of $30. Dos Santos and G. reportedly wanted a new banking law and the establishment of crypto as legal tender in St. Maarten.

In March 2022 Brison researched legislation to support Bitoin Cash as legal tender that would be exempt from capital gains tax.

In January 2022 Brison announced an initiative law that would give legal resident the right to a basic bank account. In October of the same year he addressed this issue during a meeting of the IPKO, the Inter-parliamentarian Kingdom Consultation. The draft of this law was released to the media in abbreviated form and does not mention anything about Bitcoin becoming legal tender.

Brison was often in the news in March 2023. First he was arrested as a suspect in the Lissabon-investigation, then he promised to make TRON St. Maarten’s default blockchain technology. He had already asked a year earlier that his salary be paid in Bitcoin Cash, but that never happened.

The prosecutor’s office claims that Brison received bribes in the form of cash, as deposits on his debit card and as payments for flights, hotel rooms and credit at the Apple Play Store. Allegedly these bribes also included payments for money Brison owed to a law firm.

Related news:
MP Brison arrested on suspicions of bribery
Bribery-suspect MP Brison released from detention
SEC files complaint against crypto-founder promoted by MP Brison
MP Brison’s banking law is now at the Council of Advice
UPP thanks the people of St. Maarten – Brison steps down

Former MP Brison squares off against Prosecutor’s Office in Bribery Charges investigation

PHILIPSBURG — Former Member of Parliament Rolando Brison is at the center of the Lissabon investigation, a high-profile anti-corruption case in St. Maarten involving alleged bribery, abuse of public office, and misuse of his position to influence cryptocurrency legislation.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM) has charged Brison with accepting bribes totaling more than USD $92,000. These alleged bribes came in the form of cash payments, credit on his debit card, luxury hotel stays, Apple Store credit, airline tickets, and the settling of personal debts, including money owed to a local law firm.

According to the prosecution, Brison received these payments in exchange for promoting the legalization of cryptocurrency as legal tender and the exemption of crypto assets from capital gains tax. Despite multiple announcements and draft initiatives, these efforts never materialized into formal legislation.

The investigation has named three prominent businessmen as co-defendants: Alex Dijkhoffz, former chairman of the airport’s supervisory board; lottery tycoon Robbie dos Santos of Robbie’s Lottery; and businessman Sunil Gehani, believed to be connected to the Adonis Hotel project in Cupecoy. Prosecutors allege the trio conspired with Brison to secure political and legislative favors for their business interests, including a proposed tourism tax and crypto-related legislation.

The Lissabon investigation gained public attention following a March 2023 raid on Brison’s home and his parliamentary office by the National Detectives. Although detained for questioning, Brison was released after one day due to a lack of detention space in the Pointe Blanche prison. He has remained a suspect ever since.

Brison, who continues to deny all allegations, scored a minor legal victory during a preliminary hearing when the court ordered the prosecution to release complete communications from messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal. His legal team, led by attorneys Jairo Bloem and Lisandra Peterson, argued that the prosecution selectively quoted messages out of context to suggest criminal intent.

In early 2023, Brison was also in the spotlight for his public endorsement of TRON, a blockchain platform. He declared TRON the preferred crypto infrastructure for St. Maarten and expressed intentions to introduce supportive legislation, including a proposal for salary payments in Bitcoin Cash—a request that was never honored. These crypto-related moves raised eyebrows, especially after it emerged that one of the co-defendants, Dos Santos, had a vested interest in such developments.

While Brison had proposed several laws during his term—including one to ensure that all legal residents could open a basic bank account—none explicitly mentioned legalizing Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency. Observers now question whether those proposals were genuinely meant to serve the public or to cater to private interests.

This trial is not just about one politician but about the integrity of St. Maarten’s political and justice systems. Prosecutors have emphasized their zero-tolerance stance on corruption, stressing that bribery and influence peddling erode public trust and undermine democracy.

It is unknown when Brison’s criminal trial will continue, but the outcome could set a precedent for how St. Maarten addresses high-level political corruption going forward.

The Real Cost of Corruption: Brison’s Case is St. Maarten’s Wake-Up Call

When corruption takes root in high office, it doesn’t just hits the headlines — it hurts the people. The prosecution of former Member of Parliament Rolando Brison should not be viewed in isolation, but rather as a reflection of a larger systemic illness that has long plagued St. Maarten’s governance.

This case, dubbed “Lissabon,” shines a harsh spotlight on what happens when personal ambition collides with public duty. Brison, once a bright, youthful voice in Parliament, now stands accused of leveraging his position to enrich himself while advocating for cryptocurrency legislation that seemingly served private interests more than the public good. That some of these initiatives were wrapped in populist language — financial inclusion, digital innovation, banking reform — only adds to the sense of betrayal.

Let’s be clear: the presumption of innocence is a cornerstone of our justice system. But the facts as presented are damning — the cash, the travel perks, the whispers of hotel deals and crypto coins — all paint a disturbing picture of political influence up for sale. And Brison was not alone. The involvement of powerful businessmen, including a lottery mogul and a former airport board chairman, points to a well-oiled network where money moves policy, and the public is left holding the bill.

What’s worse, these alleged bribes weren’t even used to pass successful legislation. There are no functioning crypto regulations. No tourism tax policy. No benefits that trickled down to the average citizen. Just another case of big promises and backroom deals — and, if proven true, another erosion of trust in our fragile democracy.

But there is a silver lining — if we choose to see it. The fact that this case is being prosecuted at all shows that our institutions, though strained, are still capable of accountability. The judge’s willingness to entertain Brison’s motions — to see the full communications, not just snippets — reminds us that justice must be fair, not vengeful.

Now is the time for real reform. We need strict lobbying rules. Real transparency in campaign finance. Public asset declarations for all elected officials. And a judiciary empowered and resourced to root out corruption without fear or favor.

Let Brison’s case be more than a scandal. Let it be the spark that forces us to clean house — not just of individuals, but of the systems that allowed this behavior to flourish in the first place.

St. Maarten deserves better. And now is our chance to demand it.