St. Maarten detains club owner in bribery probe

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten (AP) A strip club owner in St. Maarten was detained Tuesday in a bribery investigation that allegedly involves a former deputy prime minister.

In a statement, prosecutors on the Dutch Caribbean territory only identified the suspect by his initials, J.v.d.H. But authorities later confirmed he is Jaap van den Heuvel, owner of the Bada Bing strip club in St. Maarten's Simpson Bay.

Earlier this year, a publicized video showed independent lawmaker Patrick Illidge seeming to accept stacks of money from Van den Heuvel as the two men discussed business permits. The video was sent anonymously to two newspapers.

Authorities later announced they were investigating allegations that then-opposition leader Theo Heyliger had asked Van den Heuvel to make the tape so he could blackmail Illidge to join his political faction and break the governing coalition.

Van den Heuvel and Illidge have both claimed that Heyliger asked the strip club owner to make the video.

Authorities have been investigating the case since the video went public and have interviewed a number of people, including Heyliger and several other politicians.

Heyliger has never publicly commented on the allegations. His United People's Party is now leading the government, but he is not serving in the legislature. He was deputy prime minister from late 2010 to May 2012, when his party lost power.

Van den Heuvel was arrested Monday on suspicion of money laundering, tax fraud and forgery. He had not been charged with anything.

Interim Chief Public Prosecutor Hans Wesselink said he was being questioned and held in a police lockup.

"We first have to await the results of the questioning and the prosecutor who is doing the case will then decide on the charges," Wesselink said.

Illidge is still serving as an independent lawmaker.