PHILIPSBURG - Once one of Sint Maarten’s most influential politicians, Theo Heyliger has been ordered by the court in Philipsburg to pay over 92 million U.S. dollars in damages for sabotaging the construction of a shopping and entertainment complex during his time as a government minister.

The ruling came in a civil case involving a 2010 agreement between Zebec Development N.V. and St. Maarten Harbor Cruise Facilities N.V. for the creation of a retail and entertainment center known as “Dutch Village,” to be built between the island’s two cruise piers.

According to court documents, Heyliger used his political influence to derail the project after the developers refused his alleged demand to share in the rental profits. The judge ruled in favor of Zebec Development’s account of events, concluding that Heyliger’s actions directly caused the project’s failure and significant financial losses.

At the time, Heyliger was widely known by the nickname “Mister Ten Percent”, a reference to his alleged pattern of seeking kickbacks on government contracts.

The former minister is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for bribery and money laundering in unrelated corruption cases.

The latest judgment adds another chapter to the downfall of a man once seen as a dominant figure in Sint Maarten politics — and underscores the judiciary’s growing crackdown on corruption and abuse of power in the Caribbean territory.