PHILIPSBURG — The fraud that has recently come to light at the harbor as well as at the airport begs the question what the role of the supervisory boards has been in these matters. Or rather: what their role should have been. Robbert Delissen of the Dutch law office DelissenMartens described the responsibilities of supervisory directors in an article on his website. “A supervisory director has a large responsibility and he must be alert on developments in the company,” Delissen wrote. A supervisory director must act with the insight and carefulness that may be expected from a director who is…
Author: The Publisher
By Hilbert Haar If you have no arguments left or if you fear that the outcome of a debate is not beneficial to your own interests, accusing others of playing political games is always a good idea. At least, that seems to be the way MP Rolando Brison approaches the looming motion of no confidence against VROMI-Minister Egbert Doran. That motion, an initiative of the Party for Progress, is the ultimate litmus-test for any serving minister. If such a motion gets a majority, the minister has to step down. If the motion fails, the minister can stay in his job…
PHILIPSBURG — MPs Rolando Brison (UP) and Hyacinth Richardson (NA) fled a meeting of Parliament on Wednesday to prevent the handling of a motion of no confidence against Minister Egbert Doran (Public Housing, Urban Planning, Environment and Infrastructure – VROMI). The meeting was called to discuss the advice of the Council of Advice on article 50, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the constitution, but MP Raeyhon Peterson (PFP) asked to add another point to the agenda: Parliament’s confidence in the Minister of VROMI. The constitutional articles 50.2 and 50.3 deal with rules for the suspension of parliamentarians and their replacement.…
PHILIPSBURG — Members of Parliament (MPs) Rolando Brison of United People’s Party (UP) and Hyacinth Richardson of National Alliance (NA) walked out of Wednesday’s parliament meeting because Party for Progress (PFP) MP Raeyhon Peterson introduced an additional agenda point to discuss the parliament’s confidence in Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Egbert J. Doran. This move left the meeting without the required quorum of 8 MPs, further demonstrating the lengths to which some coalition MPs will go to prevent Minister Doran from being held accountable to the people of Sint Maarten because of a long history…
PHILIPSBURG — René Guishard no longer has his job as air traffic controller at Princess Juliana International Airport, after the Court in First Instance ruled it justified that the SXM Airport fired him for urgent reasons. Officers of the Detective Cooperation Team (RST) arrested the now 48-year old Guishard together with Chief Operating Officer Michel Hyman on October 22, 2021, on suspicions of scamming, abuse of function, forgery and intentional money laundering. The RST-investigation focused on fraud with cleaning and repair work at the airport after Hurricane Irma. Guishard’s labor contract forbids performing paid work or unpaid work that takes…
PHILIPSBURG — Leaking confidential information to Parliament and the Council of Ministers and refusing to enlighten the Supervisory Board of Directors of the Princess Juliana International Airport Exploitation Company about the suspicions leveled against him by the Public Prosecutor’s Office have cost Michel Hyman his job as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the SXM Airport. After his dismissal by the general shareholders meeting on March 14, 2022, Hyman went to court with a series of demands. Hyman started working for the airport on September 15, 1993. In 2017 he signed a service agreement that promoted him to Chief Operating Officer…
By Hilbert Haar It took me some time straighten this out in my mind, but I think I’ve got it now. Imagine that you manage an organization that needs to rent office space. Lots of office space. Let’s say, 47 different offices. You’re going to spend around $8 million a year on this venture, so this renting-business puts a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. If nothing else, you want to know that you are spending your money wisely. After all, as the manager of this project, you will be held accountable if something goes wrong. Right? While you’re happily…
NEW YORK — Teenage Dancer Eliane Berwers is enjoying herself at the summer intensive program of the Dance Theater of Harlem in New York. “I love the classes and I love meeting and spending time with other dancers,” Eliane informed StMaartenNews.com as a part of her promise to keep the readers up to date with news and photos. Taking photos of her dancing activities is limited, her mom informed us as well: “Unfortunately, but understandably, using phones is not allowed at the dance school. They get there at 11:15 a.m. and class starts at 11:30 a.m. They finish at 5.30…
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – In collaboration with N.V. GEBE and the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB), more than nine (9) kilometers of overhead low-voltage electricity lines will be placed underground as part of major infrastructural works set to start in mid-July. This work is part of the Trust Fund’s Emergency Recovery Project (ERP-1). The Sint Maarten Trust Fund is financed by the Government of the Netherlands, managed by the World Bank, and implemented by the NRPB on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten. From a budget of approximately US $3.8 million, the work will take place in several phases…
PHILIPSBURG — The causeway bridge over the Simpson Bay Lagoon has a checkered history that includes stories about bribery and technical malfunctioning. Currently, the swing bridge is out of commission again, making it impossible for cars to use the connection between Union Road and the Airport Road. It is the second time since the bridge opened in December 2013 that the swing bridge malfunctions. In October 2017, after the passing of the devastating Hurricane Irma on September 6, the Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority Corporation (SLAC) announced that the bridge would be closed for “emergency repairs.” Engineers from the Dutch company…
