SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent suspended Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper's conviction was upheld by the Appeals court on Thursday morning in the Ruby case. The criminal case was handled by the Prosecutor's Office since December 2021 when a guilty verdict was rendered by the Court of First Instance.

The NOW party deputy leader was suspended from Parliament and was replaced by MP Channel Brownbill formerly of the United St Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- After 12 long years of being accused of several crimes now suspended Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper has had his day in court on May 30th, 2022 when the joint court of appeals fully acquits Buncamper of all charges since the prosecution could not prove its case.
The verdict that was handed down on Monday has been freely translated below.
While the Buncampers were able to clear their names after 12 years of judicial persecution, former Minister Maria Buncamper Molanus was forced to resign when the investigation started as there appeared to be a semblance of conflict of interest Read more

~ Buncamper filed an appeal, but will be suspended from Parliament~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper has been convicted in the Ruby case that was filed by the Prosecutors Office.
The court convicted the longtime civil servant to 32 months imprisonment and has banned him for a period of 7 years as a civil servant, while his wife Maria Buncamper Molanus has been sentenced to 10 months imprisonment Read more

Court Deals With Beach Bar And Invoices During Third Day Of Buncamper Hearings

Suspect in the Ruby investigation, former Head of Infrastructure at the VROMI ministry and current Member of Parliament Claudius Toontje Buncamper (second right), with former VROMI minister Angel Meyers (second left), and former director of construction company Windward Roads Janhendrik Boekaar (centre) and others, during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Kim Sha parking lot in Simpson Bay, on May 16, 2016. 

 ~ Ruby case continues in November ~

PHILIPSBURG--Current Member of Parliament (MP) Claudius Toontje Buncamper, his wife Maria Buncamper-Molanus, construction company Robelto and Sons and its directors R.B.F Read more

Buncampers Trial In The Ruby Investigation Set For Mid-July

PHILIPSBURG--Member of Parliament (MP) Claudius Toontje Buncamper and his wife Maria Buncamper-Molanus, who is currently a high-ranking civil servant in the Finance Ministry, will stand trial in the so-called Ruby investigation in the week of July 12-16, it was revealed in preliminary hearing of the Court of First Instance on Fri Read more

Mixed Fortunes For Buncampers In Cassation At Supreme Court

Maria and Claudius Buncamper (file photo).

THE HAGUE/PHILIPSBURG--Former Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA Maria Buncamper-Molanus and her husband Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper may be meeting different fates if the High Court in The Hague follows the recommendation of the attorney-general in their so-called cassation cases Read more

Former Police Chief Holiday Passes Away

The late Derrick Holiday.

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands--Former Police Chief Derrick Holiday passed away in the Cayman Islands early Tuesday morning.

Derrick Holiday, brother of St. Maarten Governor Eugene Holiday, was the long-time Police Chief of the Windward Islands Police Force KPSSS in the then-Netherlands Antilles. He was removed as Police Chief in 2008 following a scandal that ended in his irrevocable conviction on fraud and forgery charges on June 1, 2010.

In December 2010, he was appointed government labour mediator in the newly formed Country St Read more

Response To Usp

The Democratic Party has been one of the longest serving parties in the history of St. Maarten.  We have had our ups and downs, but we have been there for the people of St. Maarten, now more than ever before. Our main goal was and continues to be, “how can we make our island a better place for the people of St. Maarten”.

To hear a political party, who welcomed the leader of the Democratic Party as the chairlady in one breathe and denounce her in the next, say some of the most unprofessional things is a shame to say the least.  This berating article from the USP board comes as no surprise, because the same lowdown type of message was previously shared in the NA/USP/DP coalition WhatsApp chat.

Yes, the “testicular fortitude” message from the hand of a TEATT cabinet staffer, singling out 2 leaders of the coalition and calling the other (female) leader “spineless” Read more

The Democratic Party has been one of the longest-serving parties in the history of St. Maarten. We have had our ups and downs, but we have been there for the people of St. Maarten, now more than ever before. Our main goal was and continues to be, "how can we make our island a better place for the people of St. Maarten".
To hear a political party, who welcomed the leader of the Democratic Party as the chairlady in one breathe and denounce her in the next, say some of the most unprofessional things is a shame to say the least 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

Anti-Corruption Team Seeks To Restore Trust In Community

By Alita Singh (The Daily Herald)

PHILIPSBURG –In recent months St. Maarten has seen a rapid number of raids and cases targeting everything from bribery and money laundering to vote-buying. The pace of these cases has had many in the community questioning if the underbelly of the country, oft talked about in hushed tones, is finally becoming exposed.

The thrust behind these cases, the most recent being the “Emerald” investigation that has so far netted one suspect, is the Team Bestrijding Ondermijning (TBO) or the Anti-Corruption Taskforce Read more

Maria Buncamper Molanus On Working With Usp

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - “There is no fundamental difference between the Democratic Party, the United People’s Party and the United St. Maarten Party as far as their ideology is concerned” stated former Minister of VSA, the number five candidate on the slate of the USP, Maria Buncamper Molanus Read more

Usp Welcomes Maria Who Will Focus On Economy, Jobs  

“Can’t devalue her knowledge, experience” – Frans

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The United St. Maarten Party (USP) on Friday announced that former Commissioner and Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus will be contesting the September 26 Parliamentary Election as a candidate on the USP slate Read more

Maria Candidate On Us Party Slate

PHILIPSBURG--Former Health and Labour Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus has signed on with the United St. Maarten Party (US Party) as a candidate for the September 26 Parliamentary Elections. She contested the 2014 elections Read more

“Can’t devalue her knowledge, experience” - Frans

PHILIPSBURG:---The United St. Maarten Party (USP) on Friday announced that former Commissioner and Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus will be contesting the September 26 Parliamentary Election as a candidate on the USP slate Read more

Frans Touts Second Chances For Those Who Have Lots To Contribute

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Leader of the United St. Maarten Party (USP) Member of Parliament Frans Richardson dismissed jabs against his party as a party for “ship jumpers” by focusing on the fact that the individuals targeted still have lots to contribute to the country Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United St. Maarten Party (USP) Member of Parliament Frans Richardson dismissed jabs against his party as a party for “ship jumpers” by focusing on the fact that the individuals targeted still have lots to contribute to the country Read more

Maria: It Was A Mistake Not To Be Fearful Of Our Justice System

By Michael R. Granger

PHILIPSBURG--When she forced the hand of the Prosecutor’s Office in 2014, to bring the “melee” to a close through the judicial system, former Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus at that point had no reason to be fearful of the Justice system.

Read more

Mp Frankie Meyers Passionate As He Asked The Minister Of Justice To Tell Parliament Of Vote Buying.

UPP being used as poster child when it comes to vote buying.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Franklin Meyers did not mingle with words on Monday when he asked the Minister of Justice Edison Kirindongo to give Parliament a clear definition of what is considered Vote Buying since in their (UPP) view it is very broad.
MP Meyers said the main reason they called for the meeting is because of the recent arrest of MP Silvio Meyers who was arrested and kept in custody for several days on the accusation of vote buying and after he was released the Prosecutors Office in a press release calling on members of the community to contact them if they were approached to sell their votes Read more

Buncampers Guilty Of Tax Fraud And Forgery

~Sentenced to 12 months conditional imprisonment~

By Today Newspaper

GREAT BAY – Former Public Health Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus and her husband Claudius, head of infrastructure management at the Vromi-ministry, have been found guilty of tax fraud to the tune of 80,000 guilders and forgery. The court imposed on both a conditional prison sentence of 12 months and 240 hours of community service.

The court sentenced retired notary Francis Gijsbertha for his role in the Eco Green scam to 240 hours of community service Read more

Acquittal Of Money Laundering Charges

By Today Newspaper

GREAT BAY – The Court in First Instance acquitted former Public Health Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus and her husband Claudius of several charges. The first one concerns the sale and purchase agreement of December 19, 2013, whereby Eco Green sold the right of long lease to the parcel of land on Pond Island for $345,000 to St Read more

Buncamper-Molanus “Should Have Set The Right Example”

By Today Newspaper

GREAT BAY – Maria Buncamper-Molanus was “a well-known politician in St. Maarten who should have set the right example,” the Court in First Instance notes in its ruling that convicts the former minister to a 1-year conditional prison sentence and 240 hours of community service.

Claudius Buncamper – punished likewise – was on the receiving end of a similar reproach: “From a civil servant, we expected a more exemplary behavior.”

The court held against the Buncampers also the way they treated St Read more

Complete Acquittal For Figurehead Walters

By Today Newspaper

GREAT BAY – Oniel Theodore Walters, the man who was used to serve the needs of the main suspects Maria Buncamper-Molanus and Claudius Buncamper in the Eco Green trial was acquitted of all charges yesterday.

Walters, who posed as the director of the bogus company Eco-Green, was according to co-suspect notary Gijsbertha “a figurehead.”

“The evidence does not show unmistakably that the suspect was aware that the documents that were presented to him for signing were fakes or that he was in fact cooperating with a fake construction with tax evasion as its objective,” the court ruled.

Furthermore, the ruling points out that Walters could not know or understand that what he was getting involved in was illegal.

“He may have understood that co-suspect Buncamper wanted to help him with a little job based on a promise he made to his father Read more

Fake Land Transfer To Eco Green Designed To Duck Income Tax

By Today Newspaper

GREAT BAY – Former Public Health Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus and her husband Claudius told the court at the Eco Green trial that they had trusted the advice from (now retired) notary Gijsbertha when they set up the construction with the bogus company Eco Green and that they had no reason to be concerned about its legality.

The court rejected this argument in its ruling yesterday Read more