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Reaction To Pwc Integrity Report: Dutch Want Criminal Investigation (Into The Government Of St. Maarten)

THE HAGUE – Justice has to initiate a large-scale criminal investigation into the “utterly corrupt” government of Sint Maarten. “The Second Chamber demands this, now that the controversial politician Theo Heyliger is grabbing the absolute power on the island,” the Telegraaf reported yesterday.

A majority of VVD, Socialist Party, CDA and PVV wants action according to the newspaper, after it appears from an investigation by consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers that the complete government apparatus is rife with cronyism Read more

Parliament Takes Vorst Estate Purchase Out Of 2014 Budget

St. Maarten – The Parliament approved a motion to take a $5.5 million provision for the purchase of the Vorst Estate out of an amendment to the 2014 budget with 7 votes to 6. This blocks the purchase of the land, for which Vromi-Minister Maurice Lake signed an agreement in February of this year, but it does not absolve the country of liability towards the Vorst-family, because the Court in First Instance has already ruled that the purchase-agreement Lake signed is a valid one.

The meeting to handle the budget amendment has a long history Read more

Social Media Abuzz With Messages Of Congrats For Telcell Breakthrough Winners

St. Maarten –Judges announced the 2014 TelCell Breakthrough Talent Search winners in true Hollywood style at Saturday’s show at Maho. The winners and runners-up in the four categories were: New Generation Status won the Instruments segment with Brandon Potmis as the runner up; Vocals went to Arias-4 with Sinatra Bauld as runner up; winner in the rap category was Serenity Martinus with Rumari Rogers as the runner up and in the dance category the winner was Tristan Defoe with Deveny Elferink as runner up.

“The winners will now begin a one year dream program in which they will be granted celebrity status, assisting TelCell and the TelEm Group in various promotions, while further honing their own artistic talents Read more

Minister De Weever Already Knew In October 2013: “Executing Counterpart-Policy Is Detrimental For Economy”

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – Executing the counter-part article of the executive order on foreign labor is detrimental for St. Maarten’s economy because the labor supply is strongly dependent on immigration. This is the conclusion from an advice the Social Economic Council (SER) already issued on October 22 of last year to the minister of Public Health, Social Affair and Labor, Cornelius de Weever Read more

Ex-Formateur William Marlin: “Matter Of Time Before We See Another Shift”

St. Maarten – “It is a matter of time before you will see another shift,” former formateur William Marlin said at a press conference yesterday in answer to a question from this newspaper about political instability. “There is not a problem with the system, but there are too many who approach this like, I have my seat and I am going to peddle it to the highest bidder Read more

Local Poem Selected For Choral Music Performance In The Netherlands

St. Maarten – Newly created music to Drisana Deborah Jack’s poetry will be performed at the 55th anniversary concert of the Delft Ars Vocalis Chamber Choir in the Netherlands, according to Jack’s publisher HNP.

Dutch composers Rita Hijmans and Anke Brouwer selected Jack’s poem “I dare you” and its Dutch translation from a long list of verse proposed by Ars Vocalis to four composers that it commissioned to create “new musical composition” for its anniversary concert.

“I am very intrigued by the notion of interpreting the poetry into music for a choir,” said Jack, a leading local poet and artist Read more

Usm And Vlf Offer Eft Classes To General Public

St. Maarten – The University of St. Martin in its efforts to meet the growing needs of the community of St. Maarten, is now embarking upon an adult education class, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) in collaboration with Victorious Living Foundation.

“The EFT course provides the participant with the history, science and practical application of EFT so that he/she may utilize these techniques to overcome physical, emotional, or psychological pain, trauma, or other challenges in his or her life Read more

Bewilderment In Dp About Appointment Informateurs

St. Maarten – Democratic Party leader Sarah Wescot-Williams used air quotes yesterday afternoon to express her bewilderment about Governor Holiday’s decision to appoint two informateurs on  Thursday, after UP-leader Theo Heyliger’s presentation of a coalition-agreement signed by eight elected members of the new parliament.

When the DP, together with the National Alliance and the United St Read more

Mps Prefer Trip To Panama To Parliament Meeting

St. Maarten – It was to be expected, but it still was a sight for sore eyes when the rescheduled meeting of Parliament yesterday morning to handle an amendment to the 2014 budget did not get a quorum. Only MPs Hyacinth Richardson and George Pantophlet (National Alliance), Roy Marlin (DP) and Parliament President Gracita Arrindell (UP) were present Read more

Governor Appoints Marcel Gumbs And Joe Richardson As Informateurs

St. Maarten – Marcel Gumbs and Joe Richardson have been offered and have accepted an assignment to become the informateurs of the new government of St. Maarten that is expected to be formed as a result of an agreement between Cornilus de Weever and the UP party Read more

Statement Minister De Weever: “Let My Work Determine My Contribution To Our Country”

St. Maarten – A “political statement” of 867 words Minister of Public Health, Social Affairs and Labor Cornelius de Weever issued last night makes clear that the counterpart policy was the breaking point that drove him to the decision to take up a seat in Parliament instead of continuing as a minister. The statement does not contain a single reference to his support for the coalition with the United People’s party.

De Weever states that he told Democratic Party leader Sarah Wescot-Williams on Tuesday that he would take up his seat in Parliament Read more

Rumors Run Amok In Local Politics: Coalition May Fall Apart With De Weever’S Departure

Finance Minister Martin Hassink confers with National Alliance leader William Marlin while (from left) Frans Richardson and Romain Laville look on Read more

Formateur Gets More Time To Complete His  Mission  

St. Maarten – Yesterday Governor drs. Eugène Holiday, received an update on the formation process from formateur William Marlin. Based on the evaluation of the information presented to the governor in regard to the governing program and the time required to complete the ongoing screening of the candidate ministers, the formateur was g Read more

Tourist Bureau Embezzlement Investigation: Roorda, Labega And Richardson Called To Testify One More Time

St. Maarten – Bas Roorda, Regina Labega, Lisa Koffi, Frans Richardson, Hiro Shigemoto, Alex Richardson, Miguel De Weever and Keith Graham will all be heard at witnesses at the request of the attorney of Edward Dest, the former head of marketing at the Tourist Bureau who is standing trial on charges of embezzlement.

Judge Koos van de Ven adjourned the trial to an unspecified future date but ruled that it will have to take place within six months, considering that the charges refer to fact dating back to 2009 and also considering the defendant’s health.

The court rejected the request to hear other witnesses, like Lasana Sekou and Sherry Hazel, because it is not clear how hearing these witnesses would benefit the defense.

Dest is a suspect in an investigation into abuse of a Chase-bank account in New York that was set up by the government to cover the expenses for its New York based Tourist Bureau office Read more

Solution Seems Near For 4-Year Old Crime: Man Arrested For Clemencia Josie-Ann Julot-Murder

St. Maarten – Detectives arrested a 21-year-old man last week as a suspect in a four-year old murder and rape case. The suspect, identified in a press release from the prosecutor’s office as A.R.S.R., is now in pretrial detention for the murder and rape of Clemencia Josie-Ann Julot, who went missing on July 20, 2010 and was found two days later along the Oyster Pond Road on French territory.

The 20-year-old victim left her home on the Tintamarre Drive in Middle Region around 5 a.m Read more

Ronald Plasterk: “Buying Votes Undermines St. Maarten’S Democratic Character”

THE HAGUE – Socialist Party parliamentarian Ronald van Raak received predictable answers from Minister Ronald Plasterk to his questions about the election fraud trial in St. Maarten. “It is not up to the minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations to comment on court rulings,” the minister wrote, though he also noted that buying and selling votes undermines St. Maarten’s democratic character.

Van Raak posed questions to Plasterk on August 27, two days before the parliamentary elections in St Read more

Restaurant-Owner Remains Jailed For Eight More Days

St. Maarten – The Judge of Instruction extended the detention of the 75-year-old owner of Toppers restaurant by eight days yesterday. Last week police visited the restaurant in Simpson Bay and found a handgun and ammunition for which the owner, H.A.D., did not have a permit.

The court in Philipsburg has over the years handed down a variety of sentences for illegal firearm possession. In general, sentences for business owners were more lenient than those for individual citizens.

In 2006, an Australian sailor was caught with two handguns and two shotguns on his boat, as well as with 2,000 rounds of live ammunition Read more

Peace Day Celebrations Conclude: “Make This Be The One To Start The Dialogue”

Guests at yesterdays’ cultural manifestation join hands around the peace monument at the Philipsburg Jubilee library as part of activities to commemorate International Peace Day 2014.

St. Maarten’s multicultural aspect was evident yesterday during a colorful cultural manifestation organized by the local arm of the Rotary Club to commemorate International Peace Day with a call “to make this be the one to start the dialogue”.

The celebrations took place at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library kicking off with a moment of silence, followed by the joining of hands for a prayer for peace and “unity among the many cultures from different parts of the world represented here on St Read more

Minister Lake Prepares Legal Defense For Vorst-Controversy

St. Maarten – Vromi-Minister Maurice Lake says he is preparing for a legal battle about the Vorst property based on the outcome of Friday’s Central Committee.

“I am going to prepare myself legally because some parliamentarians are making this issue a personal one.  This is not about politics anymore. I have to defend myself now with the slandering of my name. I don’t have any butter on my head Read more

“Budget Security Service Under Scrutiny”

St. Maarten – The contract of the former head of the national security service VDSM, James Richardson, expired a couple of months ago, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams said at yesterday’s Council of Ministers press briefing. While an ad inviting applications for a successor appeared in local media some months ago, no new head has been appointed yet.

“The process has started, but the budget has to be taken into consideration Read more

St. Maarten Governing Program In Final Stages

St. Maarten – The workgroup charges with drafting the governing program for the coalition of National Alliance, Democratic Party and United St. Maarten party exports to complete its tasks by the end of the week. The draft will first be presented to the leaders of the three coalition parties Read more

Departing Politicians Become A Burden For The Treasury

Political pensions could cost country St. Maarten $4 million

St. Maarten – The change of government could cost the country over the next two years more than $4 million if all departing ministers and not re-elected members of parliament claim the political pension they are entitled to by law. To put this number in perspective: on a national budget of 440 million guilders (about $245 million), it represents 1.6 percent of total expenditures.

Four ministers (Patricia Lourens, Martin Hassink, Dennis and Ted Richardson) are not expected to return in the new cabinet Read more

Ronald Plasterk Caught On Camera With Bada Bing Boss Van Den Heuvel

St. Maarten – Five days before the pro forma hearing in the Bada Bing bribery case, aka the Orca-investigation, Bada Bing owner Jaap van den Heuvel boarded a plane in the Netherlands for the Caribbean. Ronald Plasterk, Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations was on the same flight on his way to the governors-consultation in Curacao. Van den Heuvel got the minister to pose for a picture with him. The image, snapped on August 16, surfaced yesterday on the website Geenstijl.nl.

The text that accompanies the photo assumes that Plasterk had no idea with whom he went on that picture Read more

Governor Holiday At Opening Parliamentary Year: “There Are Real Opportunities For Economic Growth”

St. Maarten – Ravel’s Bolero was once more floating through the parliament building yesterday morning ahead of the official opening of the parliamentary year 2014-2015. What stood out apart from the music was the absence of United People’s party leader Theo Heyliger – who had sent notice – and of Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams who was for undisclosed reasons off island.

Other Members of Parliament who passed on the festive occasions were Jules James, who missed his re-election by a mere three votes, Dr Read more