SXMElections.com

SABA--The 27-year-old student of Saba University School of Medicine, who was arrested by the police on June 1 in connection with the homicide of medical student Kavya Guda, was released Monday by an Investigating Judge in Bonaire.

Guda (24) was found dead in her apartment in The Bottom on Wednesday, April 15. Investigators from the Netherlands, the Caribbean Netherlands Police Force KPCN and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States were working together on this case, which is codenamed “Hector.” Several homes in Saba were searched during the investigations.

Suspect O.J.E. was led before a Judge on Monday as the Prosecutor’s Office had sought extension of his pre-trial detention

Based on information provided by the Prosecutor’s Office, the Judge arrived at the conclusion that there were insufficient grounds to warrant suspect’s prolonged detention.

The Investigating Judge followed the point of view of the suspect’s lawyer, who had stated that there was insufficient proof that the suspect had been in the victim’s bedroom. The Judge added that it could also not be established that evidence to this effect would be provided any time soon.

DNA-investigations had revealed that O.J.E. could not be the only suspect in this case, the Investigating Judge stated, while there were also no indications that the alleged crime was committed by two suspects jointly.

Based on all these circumstances, the Judge of Instruction decided to lift the suspect’s pre-trial detention.

The suspect, who claimed he had been one of the best students on Saba, maintained his innocence throughout the investigations and said the case had ruined his life.

The Prosecutor’s Office still considers him a suspect. “The evidence on which he was previously held in custody is still valid…The investigation is far from over,” the Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement early Monday evening.

The police and Prosecutor’s Office continue to search for witnesses who can provide any information about what happened that night, or what the defendant did that night. “There are indications that there are witnesses who have not yet told everything they know about this case. These witnesses have still not spoken with the police,” it was stated.

In addition, the forensic investigation is also still in progress, the Prosecutor said. There are traces being examined by Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), among other useful DNA information.

“Because the suspect denies that he has anything to do with the death and the research does not give definitive conclusions, the Judge has decided that the evidence in this case no longer justifies the detention of the suspect. By this, the Investigating Judge shows a different interpretation of the case than the Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecution considers this decision of the magistrate also as a setback but stressed that the investigation is obviously continuing,” the Prosecutor stated.

The cooperation with the authorities in Canada and the United States remains unchanged. The Prosecutor’s Office and the police did not provide any information about the suspect’s whereabouts after his release.