POND ISLAND — On Tuesday, October 6th, 2020, the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), the Honorable Egbert J. Doran, denied the request of Alegria Real Estate N.V. (hereafter: Alegria) for rights to a water parcel. Minister Doran stated that as basis for Alegria’s request for rights to a water parcel, Alegria desired to develop their project by expanding on the parcels of land previously allotted with said additional water parcel. While the Minister can understand Alegria’s wish to have the requested water parcel granted to them, he made the decision that was best for Country…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — United St Maarten Party (USP) Member of Parliament (MP) Akeem Arrindell met on Monday with representatives of the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) to discuss the way forward his party wants to undertake to improve the overall welfare of the island. St. Maarten currently faces several challenges due to the lack of mental health facilities. Currently a mental health ambulance care team goes into the community daily to visit mental health patients, dispense medicines and provide other services such as guidance and counseling to patients and their families. It was observed during the meeting that the number of patients…
PHILIPSBURG – To say that things are not going well at the Pointe Blanche prison is a serious understatement. In reality it is a mess and in spite of ten years of monitoring the Plan of Approach, in spite of by now 37 reports and numerous advices from the Progress Committee the situation on the hill remains “worrisome.”
PHILIPSBURG – “The situation at the police force is less rosy than in our previous report,” the Progress Committee writes in its 37th progress report about the plan of approach for St. Maarten’s men and women in blue. “The return of the national police to the Netherlands has decimated the ranks and there is no perspective for new personnel.” Earlier, the Progress Committee, chaired by Nico Schoof, was positive about the developments at the police force. But now, the report notes, “dark clouds are emerging.” This is however not due to any wrongdoing by the force’s management but to several…
PHILIPSBURG – After ignoring instructions from the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten for years, the court in Curacao placed insurance company ENNIA under the rules of the emergency measure in July 2018. The measure gave the Central Bank full control over all relevant decisions and took away this power from major shareholder Hushang Ansary, supervisory boards and directors. Attorneys Karina Keizer and Sabine Altena describe in their petition to the court in great detail how this situation came into being – and how Ansary fought the Central Bank every step of the way. ENNIA had a serious solvency…
PHILIPSBURG – The Management of NAGICO Insurances advises the general public in a press release issued on Friday, October 2, 2020, that the company intends to reopen its head offices on the Cannegieterstreet on Monday, October 5, 2020, albeit partially as some departments will remain closed. Their services will be made available via the internet on the company’s website. “However, out of an abundance of caution, our Medical and Claims Department will remain closed, and services from those departments will be available online only.” the press release explained. “Following the recent confirmation of one of our staff testing positive for the…
CAY HILL — In a press release to the general public issued on September 29, 2020, the management of the Mental Health Foundation, MHF, gives an elucidation on the hiring process of non-BIG medical professionals in its institute and about the recent publications about the foundation. The press release reads as follows: Press Release: General Public of St. Maarten Re: Hiring process NON BIG Medical Professionals. On behalf of the Mental Health foundation, the Management would like to express sympathy to those who may have been emotionally affected by the recent unethical and negative publications about the foundation. It is…
PHILIPSBURG — On Friday, October 2, 2020, the Ansary Group represented by Parman International BV issued a press release with the following headline: ‘ONCE AGAIN JOSE JARDIM OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF CURACAO AND SINT MAARTEN (CBCS) MISLEADS THE PUBLIC’. The press release reads as follows: In a press-release issued on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, Mr. Jose Jardim of the CBCS has once again accused Mr. Ansary to have created “intransparent structures outside of the vision of the CBCS to cause damages to ENNIA, a company owned 95% by the Ansary family, in the amount of Naf 700 million guilders.”…
PHILIPSBURG — President of WITU and member of CCSU, Mrs. Claire Elshot, is disappointed with the statements made by the Minister of General Affairs in the Council of Ministers Press briefing of September 30, 2020, and in the Daily Herald newspaper of October 1, 2020. “It is with great disappointment that as member of the CCSU, I have taken note of the statements made by the Minister of General Affairs, Ms. Silveira Jacobs, during the press briefing of yesterday, September 30, 2020, and in the press release in the Daily Herald of October 1, 2020.” Elshot wrote in a statement…
CAY HILL — Nothing is known about an investigation into the death of 43-year-old Caulette Julien, who suffered from bipolar disorder, and was found lifeless in isolation at the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) on August 25, 2020. The MHF has video footage but has not handed these over to the victim’s mother. Julien’s family is left in the dark about the cause of her death. The Public Health Inspectorate remains silent. Inspector General Earl Best says he cannot comment on the case. Caulette Julien was a patient of Dr. Kitty Pelswijk. According to various sources, Pelswijk informed MHF staff that…
