PHILIPSBURG:--- As the countdown for the 2014 Parliamentary Elections begins with just four more days before voters of this great nation head to the polling station to cast their votes for the country's first Parliamentary Election. SMN News thought it fitting to remind the voters of some of the things that transpired within the last four years since St. Maarten obtained its country status, most of which caused the Dutch to use their power and microscope to force an integrity investigation on St. Maarten. Hopefully, our Governor will make the report of the investigation conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (Washington) public so that the people of this country could see what the investigators found. Let us assume that the investigation was done objectively and that documents and other proof of wrong-doings that is found is substantiated by PWC team, then one could judge fairly the level of corruption on St. Maarten. Hopefully the report will not be one like the Bob Wit report that has a number of assumptions, advices and yet felt that the Prime Minister should not be held accountable for not submitting the declaration for the Ministers for the three cabinets she led from 2010 to 2014.
On Thursday December 23th, 2010 Former Minister of Health Maria Buncamper-Molanus resigned after being faced with a motion of non-confidence for allegedly selling the economic rights of government lease land she obtained while being a commissioner in the former DP Executive Council.
Prior to Buncamper-Molanus' resignation SMN News and other media outlets reported on the sale of the economic rights the former Minister sold. Below is one of the articles showing who filled in the land that the former commissioner took while holding a seat in the DP Executive Council. In the article below the businessman who filled in property based on a promise given to him by the National Alliance led government made a statement and also provided documents to his claim. Included in the article are several documents for your perusal.
While all of this transpired and the former Attorney General Dick Piar ordered the Public Prosecutors Office to investigate this case, four years have passed and the Prosecutors Office has done nothing what so ever on the file. Just recently the former Minister approached the court asking the judge to order the prosecution to take a decision on her file. The question is why did the former Minister now candidate on the UPP slate take this long to try and clear her name?
Reliable information reaching SMN News states that the Attorney General of St. Maarten Taco Stein, a close friend of Claudius Buncamper allegedly ordered the head of the National Detectives Ademar Doran not to touch the case. This information should be released officially in one of the integrity investigations currently ongoing.
The following link shows how long it took the ousted Minister to deal with the matter when these articles were first published. Despite documents were published and more than one media house were on top of the case it took a motion of non- confidence to remove the former Minister who is seeking re-election to resign.
As if that was not enough the former Minister of Finance appointed by the UP/ DP led Government was arrested and charged with fraud in an investigation called Piranha. To this day this case has not been completed. Does the prosecution have a case if so why are they delaying these cases?
The following link is the case where three police officers and a civil servant were being investigated for selling their votes to the UPP party. The case was investigated by the Police Internal Affairs but took four years before the dysfunctional Prosecutors Office took it to court. On Monday August 25th, 2014, a judge in the Court of First Instance will render his verdict in the case, after one of the accused died. Prior to the case going to court the link below shows where former Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos said that the "Masbangu" case did not have their highest priority. Even today the Minister of Justice is saying the department of the National Detectives is still understaffed. The true reason why cases of corruption are not being investigated will never be told.
Then came the release of the Bada Bing scandal where Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge was seen taking stacks of monies from the night club owner to provide favors which will benefit the club. On Thursday last week, the performa hearing of the Bada Bing "ORCA" was heard. Defense lawyers want to hear more witnesses or even have the case thrown out. The court will render its decision on Tuesday. Indeed this is a busy week for St. Maarten and its voters, they will have a lot to think about after these verdicts are rendered.
The following link shows where the two accused in the ORCA (Bada Bing) investigation claimed that the Leader of the UPP is the one that ordered Jaap van den Huevel to tape MP Illidge who claimed he was collecting monies that the businessman had owed him.
The head of the VDSM James Richardson, man who was supposed to watch over the country was suspended for alleged mismanagement of funds.
St. Maarten obtained its new status on October 10th 2010, since then there have been three coalitions. The second government was the NA/DP, I-3 coalition. When that government fell after being in office for one year, the National Alliance pleaded with the Prime Minister of St. Maarten to dissolve the Parliament of St. Maarten and call for new elections in order to bring about stability in the country, the link below will show where the Prime Minister bluntly refused to adhere to the party that had the most Ministers in office.
On May 16th, 2013, the Governor of St. Maarten dispatched a letter to the Prime Minister informing her what is stated in the constitution. That letter was hidden from five of the Ministers who eventually resigned when they could not get the Prime Minister to cooperate and execute her duties when asked to do so.
These are only a few incidents that SMN News brought back to light in order to remind voters of what has transpired over the past governing term and how important it is for them to remember the entire past governing term while voting. SMN News will bring you more highlights this entire week.
MONDAY EVENING PART TWO --- LAYING OFF OF PELICAN WORKERS AND MORE.
