PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Justice has six weeks in which he must rectify the salary scale and salaries for detective Lyndon Lewis who was working at the Landsrecherche.
Lewis got his victory verdict on Monday, August 22nd, 2016. Lewis had filed a case against the Governor of St. Maarten, where he filed an appeal against his salary and salary scales, which the court deemed inadmissible since it is the Minister of Justice that has to regulate the salary and salary scales for civil servants that work in their Ministry.
In the case against the Minister of Justice the judge ruled that the Minister of Justice has to apply the claims Lewis made to the governor in his administrative appeal where he pointed out that he was not a police major but instead took the oath before the former Minister of Justice in December 2014 as Police Inspector attached to the National Detectives and as such the Minister of Justice has to destroy the current LB he has on file for Lewis and make a new one where he is a Police inspector and also pay him what is owed to him retroactively to 2014, the Minister of Justice was also condemned to pay the court costs that Lewis endured.
In the verdict the Judge outlined all the findings and even showed how the head of the Landsrecherche Ademar Doran contradicted himself when he said in court that Lewis is not qualified for the job and he required training, however, Doran had signed a letter after Lewis was selected by the selection committee in 2014 stating that Lewis is qualified to hold the function as Police Inspector.
Another point Doran raised is that the function scale 10 is just a concept and not something that is signed off by the government. However, the court ruled that if that function house has been used in the past and it is in the best interest of the people then the government has to continue using the concept.
The 12-page verdict showed how Lewis built up his career ever since he was hired a police officer.
Asked for a comment Lewis said that this is yet another victory for him even though Doran slandered his name in the court in order for him to lose the case, but the judge saw the true facts of his claim. Lewis said he still believes in the system and the Minister of Justice. He also made clear that he will continue to defend the people of St. Maarten in the area of law enforcement. Lyndon Lewis is currently a candidate on the USP slate contesting the September 26th parliamentary elections.
Click here to read the full verdict delivered on Monday, August 22nd.
