SIMPSON BAY:--- The Chief of the Coast Guard Edson "Eddy" Kirindongo is home on sick leave since April 2014 due to undue stress and intimidation from the director and acting director of the Coast Guard. Prior to being appointed Chief of the Coast Guard on St. Maarten, Kirindongo was the chief of the Tactical Detective Department of Curacao, he came to St. Maarten with 30 years police experience.
SMN News learnt that Kirindongo took up his position as the Chief of the Coast Guard since 2010 but was due to leave on pension in 2012. According to information SMN News received, Kirindongo wanted to spend one extra year as the Chief of the Coast Guard but former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan felt that St. Maarten needed someone with experience and letting Kirindongo go would not be a good thing for St. Maarten, therefore he gave Kirindongo a five year extension. This extension was signed by the former Minister of Justice, Roland Duncan, his Secretary General, the Minister of Finance and its Secretary General. The extension given to Kirindongo will expire in 2017. However, the landsbesluit to appoint Kirindongo for the five year period was not signed by the Governor of St. Maarten because the document had a slight error. SMN News learnt that the governor returned the document to PNO since April 2013 for the corrections to be made but to date that correction was not made, while Kirindongo remained on duty and was receiving his full salary. While working as the Chief of the Coast Guard Kirindongo is the only one that held two open houses for the local community to visit the Coast Guard in Simpson Bay. His motive behind these open houses was to recruit as much locals to work for the Coast Guard since St. Maarten is now a country within the Kingdom. His ideas worked because Kirindongo got the attention of St. Maarteners and he managed to recruit 17 locals that are currently serving in the Coast Guard on St. Maarten.
However, the director and deputy director of the Coast Guard decided they will put extreme pressure on Kirindongo so that he could leave his position by June 2014. The director of the Coast Guard even went as far as publishing Kirindongo's position in order for other candidates to apply without informing him. They told him if he chose to leave his position calmly they will give him one of the biggest farewell parties ever held on St. Maarten.
Information SMN News obtained stated that since Kirindongo saw his position published and he was not even notified he got very high blood pressure and has been home ever since then. In the meantime an Aruban identified as Glen Werleman has taken up Kirindongo's position. Currently St. Maarten is facing a budget crisis yet the country is paying two people for one position.
Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson offered Kirindongo the opportunity to take up a position at the National Detectives but he too did not do any paperwork to appoint Kirindongo at the National Detectives Department which is highly understaffed and needs people with experience. (Read PWC report published on SMN News)
When contacted by SMN News Eddy Kirindongo said he is not able to comment on the matter due to ill health. SMN News also could not reach Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson for a comment prior to publishing this article.
