PHILIPSBURG:--- A resident and worker for a businessman who owns a number of stores on Back Street and other neighboring islands allegedly has a special relationship with a detective who did what he wanted him to do instead of following the law one of his workers told SMN News on Tuesday in an exclusive interview.
According to the long time worker, the businessman caught three of his workers that are residing and working on the island illegally stealing his merchandize. The worker told SMN News that the workers were working at the businessman's warehouse in Cole Bay and they were caught stealing goods that they packed in pallets and took to the harbor to be shipped off island. The worker said that the workers were even caught on tape taking the extra goods off the pallets and those goods were left at the harbor because the workers could not produce documents for them. According the information SMN News received, the businessman then went to the harbor with one of the workers and picked up the goods, afterwards he contacted his detective friend at KPSM who gave him permission to fire the workers instead of handing the case over to the Public Prosecutors Office for them to decide on how to proceed. "The workers admitted to stealing the goods and they were fired and not prosecuted. Further, the detective in question did not turn over the men that are residing on the island illegally instead he allowed them to go out there to find work elsewhere because handing the culprits over to immigration would land his friend (businessman) in trouble because he could be fined up to Naf. 10,000.00 for each undocumented worker he hired."
SMN News spoke to one of the workers that has been working for the businessman for 13 years. The worker said ever since he began working for the businessman that has at least three stores on Back Street; he has been working in Philipsburg. He said that one day his employer called him and told him to meet him at the police station and upon arriving there he met with the detective and his boss who began insulting him and trying to force him to admit that he knew what was taking place at the Cole Bay warehouse. The worker said the detective told him if he did not admit, he will kick him behind bars or call the prosecutor on him and he in turn told both the detective and his boss to do both because he simply does not know what was taking place at his Cole Bay warehouse. The worker said that the detective and his boss went out of the room and his boss and the detective decided that they will fire him for theft. "Ever since October 3rd, 2014 this incident happened, I contacted the labor department and I also told the person at the labor department that I was leaving the island for a short period of time. The labor officer told me that she will contact my boss and have him bring in the dismissal letter and a statement from the police department to say that he is under investigation or charged with theft. When I came back to the island this past weekend I checked with the labor department and the agent told me she did not get the documents she requested from my boss and she also told me when she spoke to him he claimed he was off island." The worker said that he also contacted another detective to file a complaint because he did nothing wrong and that other detective told him that he will check with his colleague on the case but also advised him to get a lawyer and take his employer to court.
The worker said that his boss fired two other persons from the store and one of the workers already took him to court, that case will be heard on Wednesday. When asked by SMN News if he has working documents for St. Maarten the worker said that he paid his boss $4,000.00 to file for his working document. "Even though I am working for this Indian merchant he demanded $4,000.00 to file for my documents. I paid that money because I have a family to support and most of all I want to reside on St. Maarten legally. Apart from that my nephew was also working with my boss and he too paid $4,000.00 for his documents to be filed and his boss never filed for his documents instead he kept my nephew monies and my nephew got disgusted and left the island." The dismissed worker said that a number of persons working at the Cole Bay warehouse are working illegally, he said one of the workers left his job on November 1st, 2014 and went to work for another company after working for this Indian Merchant for five years and he refused to file for his working documents.
SMN News contacted the Head of the Labor and Social Affairs Department Peggy Ann Dros Richardson who said they are not allowed to release any information on cases or complaints filed at the department. Dros Richardson said if the person wants his information released then he would have to authorize the department in writing to do so.
SMN News also contacted the press prosecutor Tineke Kamps to find out whether or not she was aware of the case and Kamps said that the Public Prosecutors Office was not informed of this case. SMN News also contacted the businessman by email about the allegations and he said he will not comment instead SMN News should contact his lawyer, whose name he did not provide.
SMN News went further and tried several times to reach the head of the detective department Denise Jacob for an explanation. Jacobs sent an email to SMN News stating that she discussed the case with Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson who eventually made a statement in reaction to the questions posed to him. Henson said that the detective that handled the case was on vacation and he could not be questoned on Tuesday about his role in the investigation. The Police Spokesman confirmed that three persons were arrested in connection with an investigation involving LUCKY's Store, furthermore,the investigation is not yet completed even though the arrests took place early October 2014. He said that that KPSM will be conducting an internal investigation to determine it its detective did anything outside of of his duties and if that is proven then management of KPSM will take the necessary measures including disciplinary actions.