PHILIPSBURG — News coming out of The Netherlands reports that a majority in the Dutch Second Chamber in The Hague yesterday rejected a motion to suspend the relocation of prisoners back to St. Maarten. This despite the growing number of reports from independent experts that situation in the Pointe Blanche prison is untenable and even poses a danger to the society on the island. A motion by MP Nevin Özütok (GroenLinks) to suspend relocation “as long as human detention conditions are not guaranteed according to human rights standards” received insufficient support in the votes in the Second Chamber on Tuesday,…
Author: The Publisher
FORT WILLEM—The Community Aid Sentry Hill Foundation has completed its third home for the less fortunate after the home was devastated by the hurricanes of 2017. The foundation which is headed by Henri Brookson is now on the verge of taking on it’s forth project in Dutch Quarter. The cost of the rebuilding of the home is about $55,000, without the foundation and the septic tank. It would have cost some $70,000 if they had to build it from the foundation up. The two bedroom home is made out of solid concrete with a concrete roof which it is expected…
ST. PETERS — The Police and Detective Departments are presently investigating a shooting incident which took place on March 9th at approximately 10.00 p.m. on the Tangerine Road in St. Peters. Numerous callers informed the Emergency Dispatch that they heard several shots being fired behind of Desam Supermarket on the Tangerine Road. The callers also stated that they could hear someone calling out for help. Immediately several police patrols, Detectives and paramedics were sent to the scene to investigate what had taken place. On the scene the investigating officers located the male victim who was bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds…
PHILIPSBURG — A press release issued on Friday, March 8, 2019, by the PR/Communications Department of the police force (KPSM) has sparked a number of outcries in the community and on social media. The press release in question stated that the St. Maarten Police Force has received several complaints regarding fraudulent activities from a company called Trilogy Multi Service. Based on these complaints the Fraud Department of the police has launched an official investigation in to the matter. Complaints received by the department claimed that the owner with initials L.U. of Trilogy Multi Services presented himself as a home contractor…
POND ISLAND — The St. Maarten Police Force (KPSM) in an effort to provide a safer environment for residents and visitors to the island provided its first robbery awareness training session for the year with the staff of the Telem Group, on Thursday 8th March 2019. The training session was broken down into two parts which consisted of a theoretical and practical part administered by the Police Force Arrest Team which is certified in tactical training. The training at TelEm was well attended and the staff had a firsthand experience during the practical part on how to stay safe in…
By Hilbert Haar Parliament missed yet another opportunity to make clear where it stands on corruption and money laundering on Friday afternoon. It does not come as a surprise because every time “one of their own” ends up on the wrong side of the law, members of Parliament massively stick their heads in the sand. It sends an odd message to the community: breaking the law is okay but don’t get caught. Parliament accepted Heyliger’s suspension in Friday’s meeting as a matter of fact and nobody had to say anything about it. Heyliger’s second in command, MP Franklin Meyers, even…
PHILIPSBURG — Chief Prosecutor Mirjam Mol informed Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever already on March 1 in writing about the beginning of United Democrats leader Theo Heyliger’s pretrial detention. Based on this information, Heyliger was suspended as a Member of Parliament. Parliament convened on Friday to acknowledge the information from the prosecutor and the inherent suspension. Parliament only received Mol’s letter, via the Justice Ministry, only four days later, on March 5. The President of Parliament, MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, convened an urgent meeting of Parliament on Friday about the matter. In the morning there was no quorum but when…
MULLET BAY — Owner and managing director of Island Real Estate (IRE) team, Arun Jagtiani, in a candid conversation with StMaartenNews.com, explained the reasoning behind his email announcement on Wednesday, March 6, regarding the fact that Tower B of the Mullet Bay Fourteen two tower development project would no longer be developed as a hotel. In his email newsletter Jagtiani had announced that “By popular demand, the developers of Mullet Bay Fourteen have officially announced that Tower B will no longer be developed as a hotel. Due to the success of the pre-sales in Tower A they have decided to…
PHILIPSBURG — The Public Prosecutor’s Office has serious concerns about the financial investigative capacity of the police force. Answering questions from stmaartennews.com, the prosecutor’s office said that the police force has only one financial investigator. “Due to the lack of financial investigative capacity the expectation-level of investigations has been lowered.” This does however not mean that the police force or the anti-corruption task force TBO (Team Bestrijding Ondermijning) are doing nothing at all. In 2017 the financial intelligence unit (MOT – Meldpunt Ongebruikelijke Transacties) reported 358 suspicious transactions with a value of 60.8 million guilders ($33.4 million) to the prosecutor’s…
CAY HILL — About seventy-five persons seeking employment visited the job fair which was hosted by the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Casino which was held at the Bel Air Community Center of Friday. “We are looking for local talented people to strengthen our operation and because we have recently opened we will need all the help we can get,” said vice president of the Sonesta Maho Group of companies Johan Halvarsson. Although he pointed out that most of the departments in the resort they are looking to strengthen, they are in urgent need of culinary and food and beverage…
