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PHILIPSBURG--Parliament’s plenary session on developments at utilities company GEBE, focusing on the ongoing dispute between the Supervisory Board and Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Managing Director Romelio Maduro about his position at the company, was adjourned to Monday afternoon, after Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Marcel Gumbs gave some perspective on Friday, but needed more documentation to answer questions posed by Members of Parliament (MPs).
The meeting was adjourned after Gumbs, as shareholder representative for the Government-owned company, gave a summarised overview of developments on the current dispute and questions were posed by National Alliance MPs William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs and Christophe Emmanuel.
The minister said GEBE’s Supervisory Board, in a very “loaded†and positive letter, had requested on February 26 that Maduro’s contract be extended by two years and that he also receive a two-month bonus. The shareholder complied, as it relayed in a letter sent March 24.
However, another letter dated May 15 was received from the Supervisory Board, requesting that this decision be withdrawn, citing “gross misconduct in executing his duties as COO.†Gumbs said the shareholder had taken a second decision on May 29, reemphasising that the contract would be extended, but without two months’ bonus.
The extension was deemed necessary because there had been no indication of a replacement or of how the company would be run. The shareholder also had to hear Maduro’s side before opening itself up to serious litigation.
Ensuing correspondence became more argumentative, with the board purportedly claiming that “the first letter was not according to the rules,†and the shareholder was then informed that the Supervisory Board would be starting litigation against Maduro and against the shareholder.
In the meantime, Maduro has been invited to be heard next week Tuesday. Although the shareholder was not involved in an initial court injunction that took place Thursday morning, Supervisory Board Chairman Rene Richardson told Minister Gumbs that the judge also wanted to hear from Government, so representatives were sent to speak in court.
The MPs questioned how things could turn sour within a short time, prompting the Supervisory Board’s change of heart.
They requested documentation to corroborate the statements made and asked whether the Supervisory Board had retracted its glowing statement on Maduro before making it known that his contract would not be renewed; whether the minister had known about alleged financial mismanagement, including unapproved signing of a hefty cheque; which party was responsible for recommending and deciding on management positions; and whether the dispute had anything to do with an unspecified memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by Maduro without the Supervisory Board’s approval.
Maduro squared off in the Court of First Instance on Thursday morning in an injunction concerning his suspension. The Judge enquired during the hearing whether the concerned parties would be willing to sit around the table to reach an amiable solution, but this suggestion was cold-shouldered. The Judge will give his decision on the case on July 9.
Other MPs present for the meeting chaired by President of Parliament Dr. Lloyd Richardson were George Pantophlet, Frans Richardson, Sarah Wescot-Williams, Tamara Leonard, Johan Leonard, Cornelius de Weever, Leona Marlin-Romeo, Maurice Lake, Silvio Matser and Franklin Meyers. MP Theo Heyliger gave a notice of absence.
The minister was joined by support staff.
The reconvened plenary session at 2:00pm Monday is also open to the public and will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, the audio via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, and via the Internet at
www.pearlfmradio.com and
www.sxmparliament.org .
