Dutch Civil Servant Bouman wants to control Justice on St. Maarten Illegally --- St. Maarten Justice Minister will stand up to him.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson commended the officers of the Police Force who managed to control their emotions and worked endless hours to capture the suspects believed to be involved in the armed robbery and shooting death of bike patrol Gamali Benjamin who would be laid to rest on Thursday. Minister Richardson who became obviously emotional when speaking about the officer’s death said it’s the first time in St. Maarten’s history that an officer of law lost his life in line of his duties. He described the late officer as a beloved person from the community and a modelled civil servant who was a brave officer that was confronted with robbers before his untimely death.
He said when the incident took place he spent most of his time dealing with the families of the slain officer and management of KPSM. Minister Richardson said several persons are pointing fingers and even wants to react in anger. “We fail to understand the minds of the younger people who took the life of other people so callously and showed absolutely no form of regret in what they have done instead it seems as if it’s a badge of honor in certain specific groups. This is something we have deal with and seek out the root causes in order to prevent it from happening in the future.”
However, Minister Richardson had a different message and tone when he was asked specific questions by SMN News regarding certain things that are affecting police officers, one being their promotions and increase in salaries. Minister Richardson said when he took office he met a lot of ‘backlog” which he had to deal with, one being the promotions and salary adjustments for police officers, some being retroactive payments, house rent allowances and salary scales. He said the Ministry worked very hard in trying to regulate the backlogs and such he did sign off on a decision to the tune of Naf.3M to compensate the officers but that decision could not be executed because it was not budgeted and St. Maarten is subjected to the Kingdom Laws on financial supervision, therefore he would have to curtail other expenditures within his Ministry or St. Maarten would have to come to the point and do what they need to do and then see what will happen as far as the financial supervision is concern. Minister Richardson said that one of the things that has to be looked at is some of the vacant positions within the police force that were budgeted for but were not filled, these monies he said might have to be uses to cover the monies owed to police officers. Minister Richardson further explained that St. Maarten did not start off on a solid financial position in 2010 when St. Maarten became a country. He said St. Maarten inherited a debt from the former Netherlands Antilles while Curacao benefitted the most when it came to division of assets and while St. Maarten had to receive Naf.180M which they did not get. So far he said St. Maarten only got Naf.60M while the balance (NAF.120M) was withheld because St. Maarten did not meet a deadline. Minister Richardson said despite the constraints St. Maarten is placed under the microscope to meet certain obligations that the Dutch wants to see done. He said St. Maarten is suffering all the financial debts they inherited and were not compensated for, yet the Dutch wants to impose on St. Maarten how they should settle the debts they have with APS and SZV and placing a deadline on government. Minister Richardson said government asked the CFT not to make the information on APS and SZV public since they were busy negotiating but the CFT ignored their request which in turn gave APS and SZV more power to come down on government and making the negotiations more difficult for government.
“I kept asking myself what does the Dutch wants St. Maarten to do in these regards, however personally I have drawn the line in the sand because this country has the right to protect, defend, and do what is right in the interest of its people and if that means I am transgressing on the norms of the CFT then so be it. They would have to sit around the table and let us deal with the real issues of the country or they could come and take me to prison for my actions. If that is what they have to do then so be it. Officer Benjamin gave his life for his country, well I am also prepared to take a few years in prison for my country.”
Statements made by the Chief of Police of the Netherlands ---St. Maarten is a country of corruption –BOUMAN.
When asked by SMN News to comment on the statements made by the Chief of Police of the Netherlands last week when Officer Benjamin lost his life and St. Maarten was in a state of mourning. “Mr. Bowuman praises himself as a strong leader of the National Police in the Netherlands who does not mingle with words and says things as they are and also claim to have taken tough stands. I don’t know if people can take criticism when they make certain statements. When Bouman visited St. Maarten he visited me in order for us to work out the protocol and the strengthening of the justice chain on St. Maarten. However, when he met with me he informed me that he met with two ministers in the Netherlands and his purpose on St. Maarten was to inform me that the priority of the Dutch is corruption, therefore 50 RST detectives will be sent to St. Maarten while 22M Euros has been set aside to strengthen the justice chain including the Public Prosecutor’s Office. I then reminded Bouman that I signed a protocol in the Netherlands in which we agree we will work this out together, but Bouman made it clear to me he was not here to do such but to inform you of what the Dutch has decided to do. I asked the good gentleman how he intend to do such without my cooperation and he told me that they don’t need me for this. I then asked him how the Dutch will do such things without the cooperation of KPSM and the National Detectives and again his response was they don’t need them either. He further told me they have enough information on St. Maarten which justify the Dutch not to work with St. Maarten representatives and justice entities. My response to Bouman was success with his plans and ended the meeting.”
Minister Richardson said he called the Dutch representative on St. Maarten and informed him that St. Maarten were not amused by Mr. Bouman’s attitude and the government of St. Maarten wants to know if the government of the Netherlands supported what Mr. Bouman came to do on St. Maarten and the government of St. Maarten also wants to know if the Netherlands has decided to put aside the protocol that was signed.” He said he also asked the Dutch representative if those in the Netherlands could override St. Maarten’s constitution and the Kingdom Laws and to date he did not get a response from the Dutch.
Insurance for Police Officers
Asked by SMN News if he as Minister of Justice stumbled on an advice that was sent by the management of KPSM to the former Minister of Justice to have police officers insured and if that advice was ever executed. Minister Richardson said he did not find the advice but he was told about it and there was no decision taken on that advice. Minister Richardson again said that when he took office he met a number of backlogs and instead of questioning why these things were not dealt with Minister Richardson said that he rolled up his sleeves and started to working on the backlogs.
Further to that he said that the Council of Ministers discussed the matter when he learnt of it and they decided to consult with an insurance company with whom they met to have all civil servants insured for disability in the event they are injured while on duty and life insurance for civil servants especially law enforcement agencies. He said this happened before the incident last week where Officer Benjamin lost his life but the procedure has not yet been finalized.
Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs added that prior to St. Maarten becoming a country there was an insurance in place for police officers, this insurance he said was put in place when an officer lost his life in Saba but when St. Maarten became a country in 2010 that insurance was not taken up. Prime Minister Gumbs said the question should be why those who were in office the last four years did not see the need to put such an insurance in place because the Fire Department and Ambulance personnel who falls under the Island Government (now country) has insurance.
