PHILIPSBURG — Minister of Justice Anna Richardson has reacted in a hurry to criticism from the police union NAPB about her decision to make the police force responsible for the detention center at police headquarters. “This decision is vital to meet the pressing needs of the Pointe Blanche prison while ensuring the safety and security of our community,” she states in a press release. The minister explains the difference between holding cells (where detainees can stay a maximum of ten days) and detention facilities like prisons where inmates are forcibly confined under state authority. In 2011, former Minister of Justice…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — The first draft of a new gambling law has been completed, it appears from the third implementation report that details progress on measures that are part of the country package. The Temporary Work Organization (TWO) has provided feedback on the draft, but the implementation report does not contain any specifics. The TWO is still waiting for a proposal for the organizational structure of the St. Maarten Gaming Authority. The Netherlands will also give feedback and advice on this proposal. Research into gambling addiction on St. Maarten still has not begun, because the deadline for giving this assignment to…
Dear Editor, Soon Postulation to participate in the upcoming 2024 parliamentary election is upon us. Political parties will be presenting their list of candidates. With the postulation of the list of candidates who are eligible, new parties must acquire authorized voters signatures to support their list of candidates, according to the Election Ordinance. These signatures must amount to 1% of the total votes cast in the previous election. The Election Ordinance further states: The signatures do not apply with regard to a list of candidates of a political party to which one or more seats in Parliament were assigned at…
PHILIPSBURG — The NAPB – the National General Police Union – has reacted with dismay to the decision by Justice Minister Anna Richardson to transfer the responsibility for the detention center at the police station to the police force per November 11. The union points out that the police force is already seriously understaffed and that its personnel are not trained in dealing with detainees. Taking care of the detention center will also take police officers off the streets. The NAPB says that under these conditions it can no longer guarantee safety and security. It demands answers from the justice…
WILLEMSTAD — The Common Court of Justice has denied Ennia’s request to have the Supreme Court render judgment on the court’s interim ruling in the dispute between the insurance company and its majority shareholder Hushang Ansary and former managers, the Antilliaans Dagblad reports. Ennia (or rather the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten on its behalf) wanted to go to the Supreme Court to speed up the procedures against Ansary. But the Common Court ruled that the appeal process is progressing at a proper speed and that there is no need for a procedure at the Supreme Court. The…
WILLEMSTAD — The enforcement department of the Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has reached out to the Gaming Control Board in Curacao for help in the battle against online casino operators that continue to violate the Dutch Betting and Gaming Act. KSA has investigated several web sites that illegally provide online games of chance in the Netherlands. “Several of these illegal operators are licensed in Curacao,” Ella Seijsener, the head of the enforcement department writes in a letter to Eduardo Vliegen at the Gaming Control Board in Curacao. The letter states that three operators have ceased their illegal operation in the…
ORANJESTAD — Arubabank is entitled to refuse opening a bank account for BCY Entertainment, a company of former Minister of Urban Planning, Infrastructure and Environment Otmar Oduber, the court of appeals ruled on October 31. The Court in First Instance ruled in 2021 that Arubabank had to open such an account and the bank complied; but it appealed the ruling. BCY Entertainment is operating a food court in Aruba that consists of several restaurants and bars that are housed on containers. After Oduber resigned as a minister and left politics in 2019 he established JDDS, a consultancy firm. Due to…
PHILIPSBURG — St. Maarten-born artist Deborah Jack is one of eighteen recipients of a 2023 Soros Arts Fellowship from the New York-based Open Society Foundations that comes with a grant of $100,000. Jack received the fellowship for her project To make a map of my memory, wayfinding along synaptic topographies. The project links cultural memory preservation in St. Maarten with climate justice through an archive of oral histories, a connected film and multimedia installation. On its website the Open Societies Foundations describe Jack as a multidisciplinary artist whose work includes video installations, photography and text. “Her practice engages a variety…
GHANA/ST. MAARTEN — On October 14, 2023, in a momentous display of cultural and spiritual significance, former Pastor and Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport of Sint Maarten, Wycliffe Smith, was installed as a chieftain in Ahwerase, Ghana. The appointment, which took place during the Odwira Festival, was upon the recommendation of the Global United Christian Congress of Africa and the Diaspora (GUCCAD). Prior to his installation, Smith met with the Paramount Chief and other tribal leaders to acquaint himself with the duties and ceremonial importance of his new role. The day of the installation was a vivid tapestry…
Sint Maarten – The Board of the United People’s (UP) Party strongly condemns the malicious rhetoric and disingenuous statements peddled by individuals willing to deceive the people of Sint Maarten for their gain. It is crucial to address these actions that serve as a distraction from the real issues facing our nation. The Board has taken note of the various levels of slander, gossip, and dishonesty perpetuated by individuals, some of whom have thankfully severed ties with the United People’s Party. The UP Party is a party of inclusion and firmly believes in giving life to truth. We must guide our…
