PHILIPSBURG – Sheldon Akeem Kareem G. and Michael Haze A. remain in custody in the Pointe Blanche jail until their trial on March 14 of next year. The Court in First Instance rejected requests by the two men’s attorneys to terminate or suspend their pre-trial detention on Wednesday. Sheldon G. is charged with two armed robberies at supermarkets on March 23 and of attempted manslaughter on police officers when he tried to escape on March 29. Michael A. is charged with the same crimes and also with another armed robbery that took place on April 16. The men are furthermore…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG – “You need to tap into the greed of business people.” Finance Minister Richard Gibson said on Wednesday about the fastest way to rebuild the country’s devastated economy after Hurricane Irma. The minister said that he had spoken with former Minister Plasterk, his successor at Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops and with Nico Schoof, Head of Mission (HOM) for the reconstruction of St. Maarten about making money available at low interest rates to businesses. “Why businesses? Because they hire people. You rely on businesses to employ people and to create economic activity.” the minister said, adding that the idea has…
PHILIPSBURG – There is no reason to panic, Finance Minister Richard Gibson said at an impromptu press conference on Wednesday afternoon about the country’s financial position, after stmaartennews.com reported – based on a letter from financial supervisor Cft – that the government would run out of money by the end of December. “The alarm is unfounded.’ Minister Gibson said. “We have been lobbying for budget support from the Netherlands and the Cft has supported that request. In terms of available funds, as of Tuesday, we have 26 million guilders in the bank and those are not the only funds we…
PHILIPSBURG – With 9 votes to 3, the Parliament approved the national ordinance Integrity Chamber on Wednesday afternoon, thus paving the way for the release of €550 million in Dutch funding for the reconstruction of the island. National Alliance MP Rodolphe Samuel voted with the new coalition of eight – United People’s party, Democratic Party and USp-MP Chanel Brownbill in favor of the ordinance. DP-MP Perry Geerlings underlined the need for the Integrity Chamber with a passionate statement. “A lot of integrity breaches have taken place since the caretaker government is in office.’ he said. “We know about integrity-breaches in…
PHILIPSBURG – The Common Court of Justice sentenced former member of Parliament Patrick Illidge on Wednesday to 16 months of imprisonment for accepting bribes from Bada Bing owner Jaap van den Heuvel. Of the sentence, 6 months are suspended. The court also banned Illidge for five years from holding office and from his passive voting rights. The court sentenced Van den Heuvel – who was not present at the sentencing hearing – to 32 months of imprisonment, with 12 months suspended and 3 years of probation. The court found Van den Heuvel guilty of bribery, forging a rental contract, tax…
PHILIPSBURG — Minister of Economic Affairs and Telecommunications Mellissa Arrindell-Doncher has formally appointed a new board for the Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP), finalizing a process that started in May of 2017. The three new members to form the board are attorney Sjamira Roseburg, businessman Chester “Chet” Euton and businessman Louis Bute. All three were approved by the Council of Ministers and formally appointed via LB (Landsbesluit) signed by His Excellency Governor Eugene Holiday. The term of the former board had come to an end in 2016, leaving BTP without a board ever since. The Minister on Monday congratulated the…
PHILIPSBURG — As a part of the its quarterly review of the progress reports of the Police Force St. Maarten (KPSM) and of the Prison, the Progress Committee St. Maarten met officially for the first time since hurricane Irma passed in St. Maarten with the outgoing Minister of Justice, the honourable Rafael Boasman. In the photo, from left to right, Terrance Rey (deputy secretary), Gert-Jan Stortelers (secretary), Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman (64), Michel Marijnen (acting chairman) and Jason Rogers (member for St. Maarten). Photo provided.
Dear Editor, In the many conversations about the “Integrity Chamber” the majority of discussions are about the fact that this new chamber is apparently being imposed upon an unwilling Sint Maarten. But ironically there is very little conversation about whether it would indeed be an effective entity! Seeing as though we are going to be paying for yet another entity then surely we should be considering it’s likely value, besides just agreeing to it just because the political judgement in the Netherlands is that we should have it and because it facilitates a one time reconstruction payment. It seems to…
PHILIPSBURG — On Monday December 11th, the government represented by Minister Jacobs and supported by the Department of Education and the Divisions of Inspection and Exams met with members of the Board of USM foundation represented by President Mrs. Giterson-Pantophlet, Vice President Wycliffe Smith, member Marcella Henry and MFO Robert Judd in what the Ministry expected would be the final meeting to come to an agreement regarding saving the University from imminent closure and all the negative consequences thereof. After almost 2 weeks of discussion and correspondence back and forth about the MOU it appeared last Friday that the USMF…
Plenary Session of Parliament on Draft National Ordinance Integrity Chamber on Wednesday, December 13th, 2017, at 2pm. PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The House of Parliament will sit in a plenary public meeting on Wednesday, December 13, 2017. The Minister of General Affairs will be present. The urgent plenary public meeting is scheduled for 14:00 hrs in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The agenda points are: Incoming documents Approval Decision Lists Public meetings Parliamentary Year 2017-2018 no. 1, 3, 4, 6 and 9 Ontwerp van Landsverordening tot instelling van de Integriteitskamer, alsmede tot regeling…
