Prominent Bahamians who masterminded a failed attempt to defraud a bank of $100 million dollars made sure the only person who knew the details of the fraud was killed in prison.
60-year-old Steve DeGruiter, an Indonesian-American, died in Her Majesty’s Prison after prison officials refused to obey a judge’s order that he be taken to the hospital.
It is alleged that prison officials acted on behalf of prominent Bahamians who had masterminded the fraud.
DeGruiter was charged, along with three others, of attempting to obtain $100 million cash by false pretences from EFG Bank and Trust through a forged JP Morgan cheque on July 8, 2010.
The defendants were brought to court last week but Magistrate Guillimina Archer delayed her ruling on the case because one of the accused was ill.
The magistrate apparently saw Mr DeGruiter in a wheelchair outside the court and ordered that he be taken to hospital for immediate treatment.
When court was resumed two hours later, DeGruiter’s attorney Godfrey Pinder said his client had not been to hospital, but was returned to prison instead.
A cell-mate of DeGruiter then asked the judge if he could speak. He told the judge that prison officials were ignoring DeGruiter’s rather serious health problems. Magistrate Archer said she would ask Supt Elliston Rahming why his officers disobeyed a direct order from the court to take DeGruiter to the hospital. She also postponed the matter until February, 13.
Yesterday, when Archer handed down her verdict, only three defendants were in court. Mr DeGruiter had died in the prison. The remaining three accused – Carol Collins, 50, of Massachusetts, and two Japanese men Hirofumi Tanabe, 57, and Katsuichi Yufu, 72, were convicted on two counts of uttering a forged document, and another two counts of attempted fraud by false pretences.
They were sentenced to serve 20 months at Her Majesty’s Prison on each count. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Yufu and Tanabe were represented by Murrio Ducille. Mr Pinder represented Collins and DeGruiter.
It is alleged that Mr DeGruiter was the “go-to” man for prominent Bahamians who masterminded the fraud and orchestrated his death. The Bahamians were concerned that Mr DeGruiter would identify them if he was convicted.
This is very similar to the case of the Polish sea captain, several years ago, who was charged with human trafficking. In that case, prominent Bahamians who were financing the illegal trafficking operation made sure the captain died in prison. Like in Mr DeGruiter’s case the captain’s serious heath problems were ignored by prison officials. The other people charged with trafficking in that case were just hired hands, Polish nationals who couldn’t speak English. They were simply deported.
In 2003, Amnesty International received credible allegations that Kazimierz Kwasiborski, an untried prisoner and Polish national, died in prison on 28th August 2002 after being repeatedly denied requests to access medical, legal and consular assistance.
Due to the abject corruption in the Bahamas legal system, which includes corrupt police, magistrates, lawyers, court employees and government officials, Bahamian mobsters are able to manipulate cases to whatever extent they desire.
If a court case can not be manipulated, or if the case is being investigated by authorities outside the Bahamas, then the witnesses are killed. This was the case of Hywell Jones, the British banker who was killed during a U.S. investigation into a massive financial fraud scheme orchestrated by a former member of the Bahamian Parliament.
Embargo? Boycott? US Embassy? Bahamas? Are we but fools to ever visit a country with empty pockets? Only to fill them with tourist who have plenty of PESOS!
Steve deserves justice! My thoughts and prayers are with the De Gruiter Family.
The De Gruiter’s are the reason I have a career. Steve and I shared an office for more than a decade. He was a good man and did not deserve to die this way!
Unfortunately, the ultimate lesson is ‘God Bless America’ and the Freedoms we enjoy. Justice may never be served, but the truth must be known.
Stay away from the Bahamas!!!
e.
Thank you all for the continued comments. We are still viligent regarding this matter. At least, we got the message out in a local broadcast in his home town.. Now let’s go forward!
Thank you for your article and bringing it to the attention of the public. Public awareness is the first step in seeking justice as change cannot be brought by one. It takes many and these need to tell many more. So pass on your knowledge to as many as you know and let them be aware and to look beyond the glitz of the beautiful hotels with their white sandy beaches and see the darkness that eats away at the core of the Bahamas, their people.
Thanks so much for writing the article. Steve de Gruiter is my uncle and will be rembered as a loving,caring man. He did not deserve this inhumane treatment. I would appreciate any light that can be shed on this tragedy in the hopes that justice will be served.
Thanks so much Stacey.. We need to have more comments .. Unite my sweet.. Degruiter strong!
Saya sangat berduka atas meninggalnya Steve semoga arwah beliau diterima di sisi Tuhan…….
Apa kabar dengan Jerry or Gerry, saya kawan dari mereka berdua waktu di Jakarta sudah tidak jumpa lama sekali.
Saya sangat terkejut sekali atas peristiwa ini yang mana kami mengenal mereka sangat baik dan sopan. Semoga keluarga yang ditinggalkan diberikan kekuatan…. God blessing you………….
Maju terus untuk mencari keadilan di dunia ini.
I am deeply saddened by the death of Steve, hopefully he was received in the spirit of the Lord. How are you doing with Jerry or Gerry, my friend from the time together at the Jakarta conference not so long ago? I was very shocked at this situation, when we know they are very nice and polite. May the families left behind be given the power. God bless you. Go forward to seek justice in this world.
well, Dr.Elaine.. & are you medical .. or doctorate?? just curious..do not underestimate the power of family.. & the degruiters are one of the strongest that i know.. this will not go away.. we will have justice.. Steve was an awesome man, just caught up with some bad people.. & those bad, mystery people will not forget this situation. We are counting on the embassy to help, but if not.. we can help ourselves.. Don’t know your part in all this, but actually helpful to get some feedback.. thxs ..cathy
I respect the resolve and determination of the DeGruiter family. But I am sad to say that justice will never be found in the Bahamas. The crooks who run the nation know they have a sovereign country and nobody can intefere with their evil plots. The U.S. probably could, but the U.S. Embassy in Nassau is so corrupted and so infiltrated with Bahamian mafia scum, that it’s like the U.S. isn’t even represented there.
John Travolta was the victim of extortion in the Bahamas. But the government delayed the case and jacked him around so much, Mr Travola finally just gave up on trying to achieve justice.
http://www.bahamasb2b.com/s/go.php?id=travolta
Hywell Jones was a foreign banker who was in business with a crooked member of the Bahamian government. When Hywell found out and went to the authorities, he was executed, shot in the head outside his office building. His brother vowed he would get justice. They arrested some schmoe, who was never convicted. Justice was never to be had.
http://www.bahamasb2b.com/s/go.php?id=hywell
A German man named Harold Fuhrman was screwed out of $500,000 by a lawyer who is now a prominent politician. Harold did everything to try and get justice, even launching expensive marketing campaigns to discourage Bahamian tourism. Nothing worked because too many people (including high-ranking U.S. officials) make loads of money off the crooked activites going on here.
You hear about drug running, human trafficking, money laundering. That IS the economy of the Bahamas, not tourism. Tourism is the front. And the criminals who run those evil operations are not going to let you, or a little injustice, get in their way.
They’ve been screwing foreigners here since independence in 1973 and it won’t stop until people stop coming here.
Are you a resident? I thought I was one of the few folk here foolish enough to speak out about the evil which has permeated this nation for so long. there are many good hard working folk but they have traditionally chosent to remain silent especially if they stand to gain from it. The tragedy is as you say that it has gone on in what appears to be a beautiful paradise that seems to have no soul. God is always watching. We ALL end up suffering yet most remain silent while evil doers profit from their dirty deeds.
Bahamians have NO idea whats going in The Bahamas. My question is “Why was this $100 Million matter heard in a magistrate’s court?” magistrate courts are up to $5,000 in value.
I did research and see that. Do you know which court system should’ve heard this case?
The ability to uncover the truth has historically been delivered by the press. This is true in the US where the freedom of the press is an earned right and freedom that is not shared by all countries. I pray that investigative reporters in the Bahamas will rise to the occasion and uncover the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth while the Bahamian government learns to better their country to the respect of freedom of the press
Thank you Gerry, all of the deGruiters are standing behind this, & will not let this go away. What? The Mystery Man is gonna have the whole family silenced? Justice will be served, ..we have the Highest Power on our side.. Loved & missed by all, a wonderful man, Steve Degruiter.
Hi…. Gerry apa kabar? Sudah lama sekali tidak ketemu, terachir 3 tahun lalu saya ketemu Steve dan sempat tanya soal Gerry….
Saya sangat turut berduka sekali atas meninggalnya Steve semoga diterima disisi Tuhan dan keluarga yang ditinggalkan diberikan kekuatan…..
Salam sama keluarga, Tuhan berkati…..
Kalau ke Jakarta jangan lupa kita ketumu ya….
Best regards,
Jacky N or Jani
Hi Gerry, how are you? Been a long time, no see. The last time I met Steve, three years ago, I had asked about Gerry. I am so very sorry for Steve’s death, may his hand be accepted of God and the family left behind given the power. Hail the same family, God bless. If we do not forget to Jakarta ketumu ya.
Best regards,
Jacky N or Jani
It does seem odd that the prison officials who disobeyed the judge’s order were not held in contempt of court.
Will there be an investigation???????
Sadly, there will be no investigation. Even if there were, it would go nowhere… it is the Bahamian way.
This too will be swept under the rug. I wonder where is Justice now.
sorry, degruiter family is too strong to have this go away.. to the mystery man.. like we don’t know.. ya messed with the wrong family.. steve was an awesome person who was in the wrong place.. just looking to make a good living.. thought he’d got a break.. sorry.. he will be vindicated..
Dr Elaine.. so are you medical dr.. or phd..? just curious.. this doesn’t even have a rug with it’s name on it.. we will have justice.. thanks for your comments.. maybe be in touch.. cathy
Steve was my uncle-in-law. His friends and family will have Justice!