SXMElections.com

Pastor Convicted Of Sex Charges Involving A Minor

KINGSTON, Jamaica – A 55-year-old pastor is to return to court on February 24 after he was found guilty of having sexual intercourse with a minor in March 2015.

A statement issued by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) said that Paul Hanniford was found guilty of the crime during an in-camera trial held at the Home Circuit Court.

The seven-member jury, which was unanimous in its guilty verdict, deliberated for an hour and 20 minutes after instructions were given by Justice Lorna Shelly-Williams.

The statement by the DPP said the court was told that the minor, who was 13 years old at the time the offence was committed, was a member of the Pentecostal City Mission Church and was baptised by Hanniford.

The DPP said the complainant, who is now 15 years old, testified in court that on March 12, 2015, she and her five-year-old brother went to the church for choir practice and after the rehearsal they asked Pastor Hanniford for a drive out in his van.

The statement noted that the pastor took the children to his house in Kingston where the complainant requested the use of the bathroom and while there in the bathroom the pastor entered.

“The complainant was pushed by the pastor outside the bathroom onto a bed that was inside a nearby bedroom and sexually assaulted her,” the DPP said.

Prosecutors led evidence that the complainant managed to push the pastor off and went outside of the bedroom where her brother was.

The court was told that her cries of “help, help” were overheard by her brother, who had climbed onto a chair and peeped through a hole in the door and observed Pastor Hanniford sexually assaulting his sister which made him feel “sad”.

According to the evidence presented to the court, after the complainant managed to leave the room, on re-joining her brother, the pastor gave them some cornflakes to eat and later warned the complainant not to tell anyone as it was their “secret”.

But the complainant’s brother made a report to his mother in the presence of the pastor about what he had seen and the following day a meeting was convened at the church with the bishop, the pastor, the complainant, her brother and the children’s parents.

On April 14, 2015, a report was made to the police and the pastor was arrested Read more

Gibson: Airport, Harbour Should Pay Departure Tax

PHILIPSBURG--Finance Minister Richard Gibson says Princess Juliana International Airport and Port St. Maarten (Harbour) should pay a “departure tax” to government as is the case in other countries.

---

Candidates in this article:

Government Registers Naf. 1.1 Million Surplus

PHILIPSBURG--Government has registered a surplus of NAf. 1.1 million in revenues in 2016, Finance Minister Richard Gibson announced on Wednesday.

---

Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- The appointment of Quartermaster Hans Leijtens, last week, came as a shock to our politicians. The Honorable Prime Minister said he was flabbergasted. The Honorable President of Parliament called the appointment provocative and Member of Parliament, Theo Heyliger, described it as vindictive. And of course, the Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations, Ronald Plasterk, gets the blame Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Noticia De Ultima Hora: Asesinan A Tiros A Franky Brunache Frente A Su Residencia

Traducido por Máximo Castro

HOPE ESTATE, Sint Maarten.- Franklin “Franky” Brunache, fue asesinado a sangre fría el martes en la noche frente a su residencia en Hope Estate por un asaltante  aún desconocido.

La policía arribó a la escena después de las 11:00 pm y encontraron al joven en la entrada cerca del lado del conductor de su vehículo un todoterreno negro.

El jefe de la policía, Carl John, y un fiscal estuvieron en la escena del crimen el martes en la noche, mientras los investigadores procuraban hablar con cualquier posible testigo que les ayudara a reconstruir lo ocurrido Read more

Breaking News: Franky Brunache Shot In Cold Blood On Tuesday Night

721news Video

HOPE ESTATE, Sint Maarten — Franklin “Franky” Brunache was shot in cold blood late Tuesday evening by unknown assailant (s) in front of his home located in Hope Estate.

Police arrived on the scene after 11:00pm when they found the young man on the driveway near the driver’s side in a black SUV.

Police Chief Carl John and a Prosecutor were on scene late on Tuesday as investigators were speaking to any possible witnesses trying to piece together what took place Read more

Cdb Official Urges Region To Reduce Dependence On Fossil Fuels

NASSAU, The Bahamas – An official of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has reiterated a statement made by its president in 2014, which points to the need to move away from imported fossil fuels.

“Unless we can reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels, and unless we can substantially reduce energy costs, we will not succeed in improving our competitiveness and reducing our vulnerability to external shocks,” Head of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the CDB, Tessa Williams-Robertson said.

Speaking here at the opening of the fifth Caribbean Sustainable Energy Forum (CSEF), Mrs Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Omololu International School, a private primary school located in Anguilla, is prepped for big changes over the coming months.
The changes really began back in July of 2016 when the school received official authorization from the International Baccalaureate Organization, certifying it as a Primary Years Programme World School. The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) is a worldwide educational group headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The three programmes that run under the IBO are the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP) Read more

Minister Jacobs Attends Oranje School’S Slumber Reading Party.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday, January 20th, 2017, Minister of the Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs, Ms. Silveria Jacobs attended the Slumber Party Reading event at the Oranje School. The activity was part of events leading up to the 30th Annual Book week celebrations, which is celebrated from February 20th to February 25th, 2017 Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Sarah: St. Maarten Should Revisit Its Relationship In Dutch Kingdom

~ Parliament meets on quartermaster Thursday ~

PHILIPSBURG--Chairperson of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams said on Monday that St. Maarten should seriously re-examine its relationship within the Dutch Kingdom.

---

Candidates in this article:

Arnell Clarifies Law Amendments For Tax Reimbursement By Airlines

MARIGOT--Senator Guillaume Arnell on Monday clarified a press release regarding a legal obligation for airlines to refund taxes back to consumers.

---

Candidates in this article:

Jamaican Teacher Deported From Turks And Caicos Islands

KINGSTON, Jamaica – A Jamaican teacher who was accused of child abuse in Turks and Caicos Islands has returned to Jamaica after she was deported.

But Gillian Mullings, the attorney for the accused, Suzette Codling, is criticising how immigrants are treated on the small Caribbean island.

The practice, Mullings revealed, is that if immigrants are poorly treated by employers and report it, they are deported to their homeland without the matter being heard by a tribunal.

She reasoned that this practice begets the building of a society which frowns upon ‘whistle-blowing’ Read more

Grand Case Runway Extension Talks To Continue, No Deal Yet

MARIGOT--First Vice-President Guillaume Arnell said Monday discussions and negotiations are continuing with the Laurence family and their Notary over the Collectivité’s acquisition of land to construct the runway extension at Grand Case airport, adding he is due to meet next with the family on January 27.

---

Candidates in this article:

Minister Of Justice Meets With Heads Of Justice Depts.

PHILIPSBURG – On Thursday, January 19, Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman met with the heads of the various departments that fall under the Justice ministry.

Present at the meeting representing their departments were: Rueben Thompson, Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice; Lucy Gachette of the National Detectives (Landsrecherche);  Robert Barbij of the Immigration Department; Carl John from the St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Reporting Human Rights And Civil Rights In St. Martin And The Caribbean

by Fabian A. Badejo

(Panel discussion organized by the Conscious Lyrics Foundation, on occasion of the 30th anniversary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture, Jubilee Library, St. Maarten, Friday, January 13, 2017.)

At the time, the evil regime of apartheid was still in full force and Mandela was still behind bars and considered a terrorist by the US and other western powers Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday, January 19th, 2017 Minister of Justice, the honorable Rafael Boasman met with the heads of the various departments that fall under the justice ministry. 
Present at the meeting representing their departments were:
Rueben Thompson, Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice, Lucy Gachette of the National Detectives (Landsrecherche),
Robert Barbij of the Immigration Department, Carl John from the St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Reporting Human Rights And Civil Rights In St. Martin And The Caribbean.

(Panel discussion organized by the Conscious Lyrics Foundation, on occasion of the 30th Anniversary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture, Jubilee Library, St. Martin, Friday, January 13, 2017.)

1. I wish to start by thanking Conscious Lyrics Foundation for the honor to participate in this panel discussion 30 years after I gave the first MLK Jr. lecture at the Mairie under the auspices of SMECO. At the time, the evil regime of apartheid was still in full force and Mandela was still behind bars and considered a terrorist by the US and other western powers Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Hope Party Officially Confirms Jules Charville As Presidential Candidate

MARIGOT--The Hope Party officially has confirmed the candidacy of Jules Charville for President of the Territorial Council of St. Martin at the elections on March 19 and 26, 2017.

---

Candidates in this article:

Enhanced Customer Care Training High On Telem List

POND ISLAND – TelEm Group management say high-level training for customer care and other frontline personnel are high on the company’s list of priorities for this year, when many exciting new products and services will be rolling out for voice and data customers.

In order to prepare staff to better handle calls and visits from customers in the coming months, management sponsored a two-week training program that was specially customized for individual personnel needs by Training Professionals International Firm (TPI).

President and CEO of TPI, Dr Read more

Minister Of Justice Extends Deepest Sympathies To Buncamper Family

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman extend condolences to the family and friends of Jane Buncamper-Harms, who passed away on Monday, January 16.

Buncamper-Harms was the mother of Claudius “Toontje” Buncamper and mother-in-law to Maria “Marietje” Buncamper-Molanus, who are close friends of the minister Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

We Have A Long Way To Go In 2017

Mr. Editor,

I foresee 2017 as a very challenging year for St. Maarten in which it is going to define the future of our beautiful island and our leaders. We are right now in the eye of the storm, which is January where there is calm before the storm.

Mr. Editor, this letter is not to scare our people, but to prepare them for the hard and uncertain times we’re living in. These are times where we have to stay strong for the tough times that lie ahead of us. The good thing about going through the eye of the storm is that the tough times don’t last forever because we are resilient people that rise above these times.  But as good leaders we have to prepare our people and trust God during these difficult times Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Pond Island:---TelEm Group management say high-level training for customer care and other frontline personnel are high on the company’s list of priorities for this year, when many exciting new products and services will be rolling out for voice and data customers.

Customers in the coming months, management sponsored a two-week training program that was specially customized for individual personnel needs by Training Professionals International Firm (TPI).

The President and CEO of TPI, Dr Read more

THE HAGUE/ ST. MAARTEN:--- The Minister Plenipotentiary, H.E. Mrs. H. Doran York on Wednesday January 18th , 2017 received His Excellency Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba Mr Juan David Yrausquin, during an official introduction visit to her Cabinet.
The primary purpose of his visit was to introduce himself as the newly appointed Minister Plenipotentiary of Curacao and to further discuss with her the continuation of cooperation between the two cabinets here in the Netherlands.
Minis Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Citizenship By Investment: A Symbiotic Relationship Between Country And Applicant

NEW YORK AND LONDON  –  The United States’ investigative show, ‘60 Minutes,’ recently focused its attention on the citizenship by investment programs offered by Caribbean and European jurisdictions, expressing a particular and unfair viewpoint on the programs in the Caribbean.

Initially, the 60 Minutes crew approached CS Global Partners, requesting the company, as the leading firm specializing in citizenship solutions, to participate in the show. Wisely, we declined to partake, aware that regardless of our accurate portrayal of the industry, a salacious and prejudiced rendition of citizenship by investment would be presented.

This burgeoning industry is often misunderstood, despite the importance of the outcome for countries offering their valued citizenship, and in return attracting investment from legitimate persons seeking security for their families.

CS Global Partners recognizes the tremendous impact that citizenship by investment can have on countries, and above all we are committed to producing a win-win scenario where clients attain greater personal freedom, safety, and security through citizenship, and Governments ensure sustainable growth.

The Caribbean pioneered citizenship by investment – with the twin-island Federation of St Read more