Philipsburg:--- Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot-Williams told reporters on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers' weekly press briefing that the Ministers and Parliamentarians in the Kingdom can scream until doomsday regarding the Bada Bing Investigation. Wescot Williams said that the Kingdom Council of Ministers' meetings are normally confidential (closed door) meetings and since some Ministers from the Kingdom chose to speak about a meeting they held on March 28th, 2013 where the law and order on St. Maarten was discussed and the Dutch Ministers expressed concerns regarding Bada Bing investigation. Wescot Williams said that St. Maarten's Minister of Plenipotentiary Mathias Voges had updated her on what was discussed in the Kingdom Council of Ministers' meeting. She said Minister Voges told her that some Ministers expressed their concerns especially regarding the Bada Bing investigation. "Prior to this meeting being held, I had informed the Minister of Plenipotentiary of the general information I got from the Prosecutor's Office regarding the Bada Bing investigation (ORCA). That general information is that the investigation was progressing." Wescot Williams said unless she received other information which contradicts what she was told, due course will be followed and the justice systems are working notwithstanding what is being said by the Dutch politicians. Wescot Williams said that the information she received and passed on to St. Maarten's Minister of Plenipotentiary was conveyed to the Kingdom Council of Ministers.
Minister of Justice Position Remains in Tact.
The Prime Minister said with regards to the position of the Minister of Justice Roland Duncan, discussions were held and she in particular held discussions regarding the allegations (rumors) against the Minister of Justice which state that the Minister of Justice has other activities than the position he holds as Minister of Justice. "Until the Minister of Justice indicates to me that there is some truth to the allegations (rumors) regarding his other activities only then I will hold discussions with the Minister of Justice regarding his other activities and what we will do about these other activities. I do not have that information and I will leave it up to the Minister of Justice to divulge any other information if he feels it is necessary. As Prime Minister, I do not have any other information that would make it necessary for me and the Minister of Justice to hold any discussion on any other activity or side activity."
Wescot Williams said that the Kingdom Council of Ministers can discuss matters relating to St. Maarten, Aruba, or Curacao. "I want to inform the Members of the Kingdom Council of Ministers who feel that things on St. Maarten are going hay-wire, it is not the case and they need to allow the system to do its work. The Judicial authorities have indicated that these particular allegations are being investigated and they need to let the investigation take its course. There is a Government of St. Maarten, The Parliament of St. Maarten, and the Judicial System. "Democracy is based on the separation of powers. Government should not be doing Parliament work and vise versa, neither can government do judicial work. In other words, I cannot wear the cap of the Prosecutor and the Prosecutor cannot sit on Government seat or Parliament. Unless these systems begin to crisscross then the system would have to continue doing its work."
The Prime Minister made clear that no one will put undue pressure on the Government of St. Maarten to do things that are not their responsibility. Wescot Williams said that she is not generalizing the Dutch but there are Dutch politicians that were against St. Maarten becoming a country, therefore every opportunity to undermine St. Maarten is being used by some Dutch politicians. Wescot Williams said that good and bad things happen all over the world including in the Dutch Government.
