OYSTER POND:--- The heirs and relatives of the late Olivier Lange will soon get the justice they have been seeking from both the French and Dutch authorities for the past three years.
On Monday March 31st 2014, the Brigade of Research (BR) of the Gendarmerie of St. Martin delivered to the Lange family an "Avis à Victime" after serving a well-known dentist that is operating on the Dutch side of the island who is also a real estate agent with a summons (COPJ) for him to appear in the Tribunal de Grand Instance on June 19th, 2014 to answer to charges of stealing the safe belonging to the late Olivier Lange. The safe containing all documents and other personal items was stolen sometime before or after Olivier Lange passed away in a Paris hospital some three years ago.
The suspects that are indicted so far are Pierre Bigiaqui and Rioust de Largentaye Maylis. The second suspect is also accused of forging the signature of the late Olivier Lange while he was in hospital both in Guadeloupe and France and signature of the French Consul located on Dutch St. Maarten. Those declared victims by the Prosecutors are Vania Lange, the brother and first heir of Captain Olivers, Axelle and Francois Lange, the niece and nephew of the late Olivier Lange. Based on the "Avis à Victime" the Lange family received, the two suspects that are summoned are charged with the usage of false documents and stealing.
According information SMN News received, several other persons who were involved in one of the largest scams between the French and Dutch side will also be summoned to court at a later date. The estate which is now being managed by persons who claimed to have inherited the property has a value of over $30M. While most of the crimes were committed on the Dutch side of the island, former Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos believed it was best for the French to handle the investigation fearing that information from the case would have been leaked since upper class people are involved in the alleged scam. The investigation of exactly what transpired after the death of the proprietor of Captain Oliver's took three years before the relatives of the deceased Lange could obtain the justice they are seeking. SMN News learnt that the Captain Oliver's case is one of the most complicated investigations to have taken place on St. Martin.
Click here to view the "Avis à Victime" given to the Lange family.
Illegal Gas Tanks and sale of the Marina at Oyster Pond will cause problems with Holland and France --- Request submitted to VROMI to modify long lease.
Two illegal fuel tanks that are being built on the grounds of the Captain Oliver's property may lead to political and state turmoil or turn into what can be described as a diplomatic battle. SMN News learnt from well placed sources that the operators of Cactus Tree (Captain Oliver's) recently submitted a request at the department of Domain Affairs to have them modify the long lease granted to late Olivier Lange in 1982. The late Olivier Lange has three long leases for water rights dating back to 1982 to 1989 granting him water rights for the sole purpose of a marina. On the document it is clearly stipulated that the owners of the long lease are prohibited from filling in the water. On Monday inspectors from VROMI were seen at the property issuing a building stop for a huge wall that is being erected on the property to protect the tanks since the Fire Department issued a partial negative advice to VROMI regarding the issuance of a hindrance permit that Cactus Tree requested. The negative advice was given verbally and the report for the hindrance permit is yet to be written up.
SMN News further learnt that someone within the department of VROMI informed the applicants of the verbal advice given by the fire department. That sparked the operators of Cactus Tree to begin construction of a huge wall without a building permit. Already the operators of Cactus Tree erected the two tanks, one for diesel and one for gasoline without a building permit. The law stipulates that for the construction of such tanks a catch pan at the bottom of the tank must be built in order to avoid pollution. Persons that are interested in building such tanks must obtain a building permit and for them to obtain such they must also show ownership of the land which Cactus Tree currently does not have based on a recent long lease obtained at the Kadaster's office.
However, key persons holding major positions on the Dutch side of the island are trying to purchase the marina from the persons claiming to be the heirs of the property. According to well placed sources, a politician has certain persons negotiating the purchase of the marina while the same politician is also using his influence in government to modify the long lease. A Minister was seen last Friday evening at the Captain Oliver's restaurant with the persons behind the scam and sale of the marina. The source said the Minister, and persons at the notary office where the testament of the late Olivier Lange was prepared are also involved in the purchase of the marina. It should be noted that while investigators are in possession of what appeared to be a forged testament, the last testament of the late Olivier Lange disappeared from the notary's office however, an invoice from the notary's office showed that a certain notary went to the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital and took the information to draft the last testament of the late Olivier Lange.
It should be noted that the Ministers of Foreign and Overseas Affairs and other top officials met earlier this year to discuss the Oyster Pond Border since it is the only border in the Kingdom and State of France has no control over. Authorities on French and Dutch St. Maarten were informed that they are not to modify or do anything that will affect the current status at Oyster Pond since both the State and the Kingdom felt that the "zone de non droit" must be regulated so that proper controls with customs, immigration and policing could take place. According to authorities on the French side, Oyster Pond is the only place where the border ends at the shoreline while it is supposed to be in open waters. The French is claiming that based on the current status the water in Oyster Pond belongs to the Dutch while the land belong to the French.
While the Department of VROMI is busy processing the request for the hindrance and building permits and the department of domain affairs is busy working on modifying the long lease the French authorities have been using a microscope to see if the Dutch side would have the gaul to issue such permits for construction on French land.
On Monday two inspectors from VROMI were at the scene issuing a building stop for the wall that is currently being erected on French land, an argument ensued there while the persons who were ordered to stop construction refused to comply with the orders given to them by the inspectors claiming that a certain Minister on the Dutch side gave them the green light to build the wall because he could keep the inspectors in check. Another concern for the residents of Oyster Pond is the pollution of the marina since the operators of Cactus Tree built a laundromat on the property and all the soap and other chemicals used for washing is pumped in the marina.