GREAT BAY – The Court in First Instance has forbidden country St. Maarten to give out a water parcel in Great Bay to Corplease Ltd., an entity established in Tortola, or to any other entity. The court furthermore ordered the country to prevent the placement of a floating or permanent pier on in the water, located between Bobby’s Marina and Dock Maarten’s marina. The court imposed a penalty of $1 million for each infringement on the order with a maximum of $10 million. Dock Maarten took the country to court in summary proceedings on November 4. Five days later the…
Author: The Publisher
GREAT BAY – A new housing project in the Welgelegen and Cay Hill area is underway, as crews began clearing the area on which some 61 town houses and apartment units are to be constructed. The project is spearheaded by APS, St. Maarten’s general pension fund administrator, which was awarded the land by government in a long lease arrangement. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, APS will continue preparing the area for construction. The work entails clearing of the brush, the excavation of soil and leveling of the land. Additionally scheduled to start shortly is the construction…
GREAT BAY – After the consultations of last Thursday Governor Eugène Holiday met with the leader of the National Alliance William Marlin on Friday to discuss the process to come to the formation of a new government. Considering the consultations, the results of the September 26, elections, the developments of the past seven weeks and the coalition agreement signed by the leaders of the NA, USP and DP representing a two thirds majority in Parliament, the governor asked Marlin to accept a second assignment as formateur. Based on the consultations the governor asked Marlin to form a new government which…
LE THILLAY FRANCE – APG, inventor of the modular line array concept, announced the appointment of Genesis Music Group as a new Uniline Partner in Sint Maarten. Genesis Music Group joins a network of committed pro AV companies who are able to offer differentiating solutions while answering the most stringent expectations. With this new addition, APG can now count on a network of 26 partners worldwide. Commenting on the agreement, Genesis Music Group CEO and chief engineer Bertaux Fleming, a.k.a. M. Rude, enthused: “We are extremely proud to become a Uniline partner. I was introduced to the brand in 2010 during a trip to Paris,…
GREAT BAY – The Law Enforcement Council recently presented the Minister of Justice, Edsel Kirindongo, with a report on the enforcement of St. Maarten’s adult entertainment policy, based on inspections between March and June of this year. The report focuses on the aspects of preventing of and enforcement of crimes that are (often) related to the sex industry, like human trafficking, forced prostitution and exploitation. The inspection revealed suspected financial crimes, like money laundering and tax evasion relating to operators in the industry, but these criminal activities fall beyond the scope of the report. The adult entertainment policy refers to…
The findings of the Law Enforcement Council that the enforcement of the prostitution policy is a mess does not come as a surprise, but the report makes it official. When the Border Bar’s proprietor Angel Priest was sentenced in 2012 for human trafficking and exploitation, the prosecutor’s office asked the government to close down the place. Minister of Economic affairs at the time Ted Richardson did nothing, Similar requests are currently pending for temporarily revoking the permits of Le Petit Chateau and El Capitan and possibly also for Hypnotic. But our Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs remains silent on…
GREAT BAY – The appeal of Kevin Maurice Cohen against his conviction for causing a fatal accident that caused the death of former Rotary President Ramesh Bhagwandas Manek has been postponed until March 2 of next year. The case was on the docket of the Common Court of Justice yesterday, but Cohen’s attorney, Eldon Sulvaran, had informed the court that he had been “unexpectedly confronted with matters that demand his full attention.” Those matters are an injunction against the extradition of his client Gregory Koeiman to the United States. While this injunction is only in court next week, the Common…
GREAT BAY – The heat from the killing of Police Officer Gamali Benjamin on August 5 of last year seems to have somewhat evaporated, it appeared yesterday when the main perpetrators, Ridge Damisse and Jovanny Leon appeared in the Common Court of Justice yesterday. Security was light and the two men – serving 20 and 8 years respectively – were just shacked at the ankles. A third suspect, cab driver Obed C. (who was acquitted in the Court in First Instance) was also present. But the appearance did not result in the handling of the appeal. Judge Tamara Tijhuis noted…
GREAT BAY – Young policeman Richmer Michel Patrick York told his story about the events of March 4, 2015 that resulted in the death of Hakeem Isidora yesterday in great detail during the appeal hearing against his conviction to 8 years in the Common Court of Justice. York, 24, described the threatening situation in Belvedere that forced him to use his service weapon to defend himself. Solicitor-General Ton van der Schans however, did not buy the self-defense story of the defendant and his attorney Shaira Bommel, but he offered some leniency with a demand of 6 years. The court will…
If the Richmer York case shows anything, it is that police officers are at risk 24 hours a day. On duty or off duty – it does not make any difference. Oh wait, it does make a difference. When officers wear their uniform, they have the monopoly on violence. So if a rebellious citizen threatens their life, say, with an axe or a spade, they are within their rights when they pull their service weapon and use it when push comes to shove. When they are off duty they routinely carry their firearms as well – and then it becomes…
