The decision by the court to keep an 82-year-old suspect incarcerated until at least his trial date of December 7 shows in a rather unexpected way that everybody is equal under the law. The octogenarian is a suspect in an arms dealing investigation – a serious matter for sure. While he complained to the court about his detention conditions, saying that he could not take it a day longer, the prosecution maintained that the man is not unfit for incarceration. The court considered the defendant’s (unspoken) request for a suspension of his detention, but in the end turned it down.…
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GREAT BAY – Erato brothers held liable as people who bought into the failed Aquarius project in Red Pond will not see a penny of their investment due to bankruptcy. Photo caption: Part of the abandoned Aquarius project in Red Pond. File photo Today / Hilbert Haar Duped buyers won’t see a penny from bankrupt Aquarius Erato brothers held liable By Hilbert Haar GREAT BAY – People who bought into the failed Aquarius project in Red Pond will not see a penny of their investment, it appears from the second public report about the bankruptcy of Sabra NV and Aquarius…
THE HAGUE – The Second Chamber says that the Dutch government is naïve when it comes to Venezuela, Pieter Hofmann reports on Caribisch Netwerk. The parliament is concerned about Venezuelan influence on local elections and about the recent purchase of the refinery in Aruba. Second Chamber members: “Government is naïve when it comes to Venezuela” The parliament sees with a heavy heart how Venezuela is taking over the Aruban Valero-refinery through a daughter company of state oil company PdVSA. Alexander Pechtold (D66): “How naïve. A corrupt and bankrupt country that is going to mess up things through a daughter company…
GREAT BAY – The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) will host a month’s worth of activities for Carnival 2017; according to the foundation this is “being dictated by the rapid and enormous growth of the festival.” As it prepares to release its tentative schedule next week, the foundation announced that Carnival activities will kick-off as early as mid-March and end May 4. “The days of Carnival being crammed into two weeks with a handful of pre-Carnival events, are long gone. This is our new reality,” SCDF-President Alston Lourens said. The number of Carnival initiatives and events which visitor and…
ORIENT BAY – The Our Land Matters initiative held its first rally last Sunday in the Boo Boo Jam area. The rally was a mixture of speakers calling citizens of Saint Martin to unite and stand for their rights. Echoing at what was once an area for locals to congregate and enjoy Saint Martin was the need to re-open Boo Boo Jam Saint Martin style. The rally drew a large crowd that listened keenly to the words of local activists, grass root Saint Martiners and long standing Boo Boo Jam patrons who are concerned by what is taking place on…
GREAT BAY – Victor Albert R. celebrated his 82nd birthday on Tuesday but this was not a happy occasion, because he is detained in the Pointe Blanche prison. “I cannot take another day of this,” he told judge Dirk Gruijters yesterday in the Court in First Instance. “I cannot stay another day in prison. Give me house arrest instead.” His wife and co-suspect Irene F. (56) also asked the court to suspend her detention, but the court did not grant these requests. The suspects remain behind bars until at least the handling of their case that was postponed until December…
WILLEMSTAD – The Supreme Electoral Council (SEC) held its first briefing today at 12 o’clock. According to Pacheco Römer, chairman of the SEC, up until that moment, 21,571 people voted which represents about 20% of the total voters on the island. “This is a good sign because normally this is 12 to 15%,” said Römer during the briefing. By 4 p.m. 52,380 people had voted – roughly 48.5 percent, representing as good turnout. Voting ended at 7 p.m. and the SEC expected the first results around 7.30 p.m. The prison was the first to announce its results. This year the SEC kept…
GREAT BAY – The total recount of the votes of the September 26 elections did not reveal any shocking differences with the preliminary outcome, or it must be that UP-candidate Tamara Leonard caught up with Jules James for the fifth sweat of the party by evening the score at 207 votes. Because Leonard is ranked higher on the list, she gets the seat, but James could still become an MP again if any of the higher ranked UP-candidates, like Franklin Meyers or Dr. Lloyd Richardson become ministers in the new government. The UP ended with 4,130 votes as the largest…
GREAT BAY – The University of St. Martin hosted the USM Preparatory Program (PRE-USM) class of 2016 Graduation Ceremony in the presence of Minister Silveria Jacobs (Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs). The minister had encouraging words to the graduates and stressed the importance for programs such as the PRE-USM program, which guides young people in taking steps to obtain their tertiary education degree by enrolling in a college or university. President of the University of St. Maarten Foundation Valerie Giterson-Pantophlet applauded the graduates for taking the necessary steps to accomplish their ultimate goal which is becoming a college educated…
GREAT BAY – Finance Minister Richard Gibson and Public Health Minister Emil Lee have put out a public tender for a second review of the strategic business plan for the St. Maarten Medical Center, version 3.0. Bids must be submitted no later than Friday, October 14 at noon. The same day, at 12.30 p.m., bids will be opened and checked for admissibility. The contract will be awarded by October 21. The tender is part of efforts to get approval from financial supervisor Cft for the financing of the new hospital, SZV-director Glen Carty said. Part of the conditions the Cft…
