PHILIPSBURG:--- The commercial manager of GEBE Steve Duzanzon remains in limbo even though he met with management of the company on Thursday to further discuss the indefinite suspension he received from them on Tuesday. SMN News learned that GEBE gave a proposal to Duzanzon who worked for the company for 10 to 15 years. The source said that the management of GEBE told Duzanzon he could either accept another position within the company because both the management and staff of the company has lost confidence in him or he could accept a payout for his years of service.
SMN News also learnt that a receptionist of GEBE took $1,100 to pay the utilities bill for Defiance Heaven Club (St. Maarten Angel Hotel) located in Sucker Garden but that bill was never paid.
The source said that even though the company is behind in its payments they have a payment arrangement with GEBE and when the agreement was not lived up to, GEBE disconnected the utilities of the business establishment. SMN News further learnt that the incident took place since September 2013 and management of GEBE was conducting internal investigations prior to taking the decision on Tuesday. "When the disconnection was done, the owner of the company contacted GEBE and informed them that the monies were given to the receptionist who is related to a Member of Parliament and also a shareholder of Defiance Heaven Club."
Sources from GEBE said that GEBE made several reports on the case because they learned that this is not the first time the receptionist took monies from people to pay their bill and she would often ask Duzanzon to get it done by the cashiers for her.
According to some of the workers who spoke to SMN News on Wednesday, the receptionist first admitted to collecting the monies and she at one point said the monies were in her drawer causing management to break open the draw to look for the monies which was not there. The workers said after that the receptionist told management that she gave the monies to Duzanzon to pay the bill that sparked an investigation because workers of GEBE are not allowed to take clients' monies to pay their bills.
SMN News learnt that the receptionist has some severe issues with paying her own bills and GEBE was about to disconnect her utilities and remove the meter from her residence but Duzanzon (the commercial manager of the company) jumped in and ordered the technicians not to do the disconnection.
SMN News further learnt that the employment agency that hired the receptionist suspended her on Thursday.
SMN News contacted Steve Duzanzon on Thursday for a comment, he admitted that he was suspended from the company for the allegations SMN News reported on Thursday but said he is not at liberty to speak to the media since he is still in discussion with management of GEBE.
SMN News also learnt that on Wednesday GEBE suspended another worker identified as Vincent Lake claiming that one of his diplomas is fraudulent. The source said that Lake's diplomas were damaged during hurricane Luis. It is further understood that Lake has three months to contact the school to get new diplomas, if he cannot produce new diplomas within the time frame given then the company will fire him.