~took government bonds to buy diesel for his hotel in times of crisis, BIG legislation drafted but never taken to parliament.~
PHILIPSBURG:--- After serving as the Minister of VSA for over 4 years Emil Lee got the motion of no-confidence the UP/DP coalition speared him in December when they destabilize the country by throwing down the government for their own self-interest
Over the years SMN News wrote several articles highlighting the incompetence of the Minister but at no time the politicians that supported him or those that were in opposition stood up to him. It had to take a first-time Member of Parliament Luc Mercelina who was elected just over a year now to stand his ground to save St. Maarten and its people from further disaster.
The former Chairman of USZV Dr. Michel Petit went as far as filing a complaint against Emil Lee and the Director of SZV when they were squandering the pension funds. Even the justice system failed St. Maarten even though it is against the law for a sitting Minister to give instructions to a director of SZV to spend money from the pension fund. Dr. Petit filed an official complaint with the Attorney General’s Office of Curacao and St. Maarten in August 2016.
Article here https://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/23331-former-chairman-of-uszv-dr-michel-petit-filed-official-complaint-against-uszv-director.html
In December 2016 former board member of the Supervisory Board Jeroen Veen gave Lee a warning about the AOV funds. Click here for the article.
https://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/23656-minister-lee-got-warning-from-jeroen-veen-about-aov-funds-in-december-2015.html
While using SZV funds to finance his pet projects and spending millions on consultant fees for the project, Emil Lee went as far as approving NAF 25,000.00 for SZV Director Glen Carty even though Carty is not entitled to remuneration. Of course, the remuneration is a partial payback to Carty for all the illegal actions he has instructed him to take.
https://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/28054-exclusive-minister-of-vsa-approved-naf-25-000-00-as-remuneration-for-szv-director.html
In October 2017, the Minister who is responsible for Healthcare, labor and Social Affairs chose to take government bonds and purchase diesel for his hotel Princess Heights. Despite the publication of photographs showing Lee with huge black drums at a gas station, his political leaders chose not to do anything about that situation even though St. Maarteners were roofless, and many homeless.
Click here for the article https://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/27740-exclusive-minister-of-vsa-caught-using-government-bonds-to-purchase-drums-of-diesel-for-princess-heights.html
Post IRMA SMN News released an article which showed that SZV would lose 85% of its revenues but the misspending at SZV continues to the point where $500,000.00 was stolen through what SZV described as a phishing scam.
Click here https://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/27296-exclusive-szv-stands-to-lose-85-of-its-monthly-revenue-aircraft-was-chartered-to-fly-out-employees-to-curacao.html
Besides spending SZV money on pet projects Emil Lee exercised tunnel vision in every aspect. He threatens the staff of the Ministry of Health when he could not get his way. Lee has had a strained relationship with the Inspectorate, namely the Inspector General Dr. Earl Best. Lee went as far as placing a gag order on the Inspectorate which landed parties in court and at the Ombudsman. His constant interference jeopardized the audit that was to be conducted at the St. Maarten Medical Center in 2016. Instead, Lee chose to pay a consultant Euros 14,000,00 to write a report on the St. Maarten Medical Center, the Department of Public Health and the Inspectorate. While the report is very critical Lee chose to hide the people's report and began implementing JCI standards at SMMC.
Click here for article https://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/25557-inspector-general-filed-court-case-against-minister-of-vsa-for-issuing-instruction-case-was-pulled-back-after-minister-lee-withdrew-the-instruction.html
Besides the SMMC audit, the Inspectorate was supposed to conduct an audit at the SZV Referral Department. That audit was never conducted even though Lee sent out a joint press release informing the community of St. Maarten that the audit was pending.
The lack of these audits has caused the people of St. Maarten to suffer much more than they should. Poor quality of healthcare at SMMC, and more lavish spending at SZV which will eventually go bankrupt.
Click here for article https://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/25307-smmc-audit-delayed-as-discussions-with-ivsa-and-smmc-still-ongoing.html
https://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/25772-minister-of-health-blames-inspectorate-of-health-for-interfering-with-the-audit-of-smmc-says-he-prefers-amicable-solution.html
Besides the interference from a Minister that has absolutely no knowledge on healthcare and labor, he was one of those Ministers who believed in leaking confidential information to some media houses when he could not get his way. Emil Lee has in his possession the draft BIG legislation he campaigned upon but to date he has not seen it fit to take it to parliament for approval.
SMN News also gave a general overview of healthcare just one week prior to hurricane IRMA. The situation today has worsened with no improvement in sight. Click here for article https://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/26971-exclusive-an-assessment-on-healthcare-on-st-maarten.html
Hopefully, the Parliament of St. Maarten through MP Luc Mercelina will follow through and save St. Maarten from further disaster by ensuring that Emil Lee is removed from the Ministry of VSA and that he is held personally liable for the misspending of SZV pension funds. SMN News highlighted some of the articles published about Emil Lee over the years and even though glaring his party leader and now Chairlady of Parliament did absolutely nothing to protect St. Maarten and its people.
