Marigot: --- Two flavors that do not mix well are politics and friendship, something the president of the Tourist Office would have to learn the hard way.
SMN News has been reliably informed that interim director (director elect) of the Tourist Office Corine Picaut is closely involved with the Socialist Party in France, yet she was elected as the director of the French Tourist Office at a meeting on Wednesday night. SMN News understands that the two counselors representing the opposition did not show up to the meeting.
Despite several questions asked Picaut managed to secure the majority votes at the end of the meeting. The committee has eight elected members with the others being business professionals. SMN News has been reliably informed that some of the elected who are from the Union Pour le Progres abstained from voting while the others voted in favor, a clear indication that the UPP group are having internal problems.
It is said Picaut is a board member of the 18th arroundissment for the Socialist Party in Paris, while the UPP is connected to the UMP the leading party.
Another concern for the Union Pour le Progres is that the foreign employee owns a consultant firm in Paris and she was hired by President of the Tourist Office Ida Zin Ka Ieu to conduct an audit for the Tourist Office Association. However, prior to the election Picaut made sure she met the legal obligations to become a civil servant.
Sources say Picaut already dismantled her shares in the company to pave the way for her to become a civil servant, but the UPP counselors are not in favor of her appointment.
Sources say Zin Ka Ieu has since become friends with the intended civil servant whose expenses are being paid by the COM. It is understood that Picaut stays at the Beach Plaza Hotel where she is running up a huge bill for the Collectivity and Tourist Office to pay. It is further understood that the two entities have to pay for a number of airline tickets to and from Paris as the woman is constantly visiting her children there.
According to our sources, this does not include the Euros 4,500 salary, and other benefits the foreign worker is benefitting from the Collectivity and Office du Tourisme.
Another concern for the UPP counselors who are not supporting Zin Ka Ieu is the fact that the two may have some sort of business connections. The Picaut and Fine Companies and Publi Info allegedly are doing business together. SMN News understands that the president of the Tourist Office has been submitting bids on behalf of her company to get advertising one of which was recently rejected by the committee.
Another concern for the majority is that Zin Ka Ieu hired a lawyer to work full time at the tourist office, the lawyer SMN News understand represented the president in her personal battles in the past. Reasons for hiring an attorney full time are still not clear.
Sources said the tourist office had rented a villa in Lowland for some Euros 8,000 to host the party for the SMART convention; however, the said villa was used to celebrate Zin Ka Ieu boyfriend’s birthday party, which was allegedly organized by said interim director.
Ida Zin Ka Ieu fired Yann Claeysen the former director of the tourist office when she found out Claeysen spent monies inappropriately including monies that was spent at the Hustler’s Club in Paris. The EPIC president also made clear that Claeysen was a good friend of the Vice President in charge of Tourism Daniel Gibbs, reasons why she terminated his contract. Ever since the Claeysen saga Gibbs and Zin Ka Ieu has not been on speaking terms. SMN News further understands that since Zin Ka Ieu was elected president of the Office du Tourisme Gibbs stopped visiting the department even though he is in charge of tourism.
It is therefore incomprehensible why the President would now encourage the same types of behavior she once condemned. Efforts made to obtain a statement from Zin Ka Ieu proved futile up to press time.
