Philipsburg/Hague:--- The Minister of Interior and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk gave the Parliament of the Netherlands misleading information on the Tortola boat mishap that claimed the lives on nine people on December 6th, 2010. The ill-fated 26 feet boat left St. Maarten with over 20 Haitian nationals, nine of those persons perished in the accident which occurred somewhere in the vicinity of Parquita Bay, Tortola B.V.I.
The Haitian captain and one of his crew members were arrested and sentenced in Tortola while five people were also arrested and convicted for human smuggling and money laundering on St. Maarten.
The Attorney General of Countries St. Maarten, Curacao, and the BES islands Dick Piar already issued an advice to the Minister of Justice of St. Maarten and the Prosecutor's Office since the case was investigated by the Landsrecherche. SMN News learnt that the investigation showed that the Coast Guard did not act properly neither did they intercept the boat when it left St. Maarten. The Coast Guard monitored the boat and its occupants from the time they boarded the boat and left St. Maarten and while they had several opportunities to act and apprehend those on the boat which might have saved the lives of the nine people including three children they did not.
SMN News already submitted a request for the report that was submitted to St. Maarten's Minister of Justice but we were informed that the report is not yet finalized. The Attorney General sent an advice to the Minister of Justice with its findings so that the Minister and Prosecutor could react but that process has not yet been completed.
