WILLEMSTAD - Former prime minister of Curaçao Gerrit Schotte has asked the court today for an Italian lawyer-general to be heard. According to Schotte, Roberto Pelicano can testify that the Public Prosecution Service (OM) in Curaçao has told lies about correspondence with the Italian Public Prosecution in Milan.

That correspondence would have been an important reason to start a criminal investigation into Schotte’s actions.

The former prime minister has been sentenced to three years in prison for corruption, among other things, since the end of last year. He would have received money from an Italian businessman in St. Maarein in exchange for influence in Schotte’s government.

Schotte and his lawyers filed the case because, according to them, Pelicano's statement provides a different picture of the criminal case against him.

Dozens of Schotte's supporters were present this morning to show their support at the door of the court building.

Schotte also told the court on Friday that he cannot be dismissed as a representative of the people or in other words as a Member of Parliament, even if he must perform his duties behind prison bars.

According to the President of Parliament, he can no longer have a seat in parliament because he is serving a sentence of three years. Schotte and his lawyers are fighting that. According to them, the President of Parliament does not have the legal force to exempt Schotte from his duties.