PHILIPSBURG:--- The Shareholder representative of GEBE is expected to hear the three board members of GEBE Supervisory Board sometime next week. SMN News learnt that as soon as Prime Minister William Marlin and the Minister of VROMI Angel Meyers return to the island they will hear the three board members as advised by the Corporate Governance Council. The three members are Chairman Rene Richardson, Ed Gumbs and Zylena Barry. The source said shortly after the hearing shareholder will install the new board members namely:-
1. Oral Gibbes
2. Tazio Bervoets
3. Agnes Monte
4. Romeo Pantophlet
5. Sandy Offringa
6. Roy Marlin
7. Patrice Gumbs.
The shareholder representative requested that all members of the supervisory board of GEBE tender their resignation because they are of the opinion that the current board members have been leaking information to the media. However, some of the members of the supervisory board did tender their resignation except for the three that will be heard next week.
The Corporate Governance Council in its advice to government agreed that the government of St. Maarten has sufficient reasons to send home the board but they must be heard in accordance of good governance.
Based on the advice sent to the government of St. Maarten the Corporate Governance Council (CGC) do believe that government does have grounds to send home the three remaining board members who did not submit their resignations when they were asked to do so. The council stated that it appears more than likely that the board members of GEBE had more contact with the outer world (media) rather than dealing with the company’s issues internally.
The Corporate Governance Council however, did not give a clear decision on Veronica Jenson Webster to take on the position as CEO at the government owned company as she lacks an engineering degree for such a position, therefore the Corporate Governance Council asked government to submit more information on the candidate Jensen Webster in order for them to take an outright decision. They also mentioned that it is up to the government of St. Maarten to decide whether or not they will appoint Webster to the position she applied for after submitting additional information. The council did approve for Williams Brooks to take on the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position, However, they also said that its up to government to take the decision on whether or not they will appoint Brooks to the position of CEO since the current board gave a negative advice not so long ago when Brooks was appointed Temporary Manager of the Government owned company.
