Philipsburg: --- The island government and the department of Legal Affairs are currently investigating an inspector of ROB (Public Works) who allegedly tried to extort monies from Blue Marine. According to reliable sources, the ROB inspector and his girl friend are owners of Blue Blood Construction tried to extort $42,000 from Blue Marine, a company that belongs to Saro Spadaro. SMN News learnt that the inspector committed his act since July 2009 and to date no actions has been taken.
The source said the inspector sent his girlfriend (another civil servant) with an invoice in the name of Blue Blood to Blue Marine for $42, 000 even though Blue Blood did not conduct any work for Blue Marine. It is further understood that when Blue Marine questioned the invoice they were told that they should pay the invoice if they wanted to get their inspection approved on the buildings that were constructed at Pointe Pirouette. SMN News further learnt that a well-known member of the Democratic Party contacted the Director of ROB with the invoice that was sent to Blue Marine, which prompted ROB Director Joseph Dollison to immediately remove the inspector from that construction site and initiated an investigation on the incident. SMN News further learnt that a process verbal was made up and sent to personnel affairs on the inspector because of a second incident, which involved him, and another colleague who visited one of Blue Blood's construction sites in Oyster Pond. This media house learnt that the inspector wrote a letter complaining about his colleague whom he said is trying to hinder the work process at Oyster Pond.
SMN News also learnt that the inspector whose name was provided failed to execute his duties when several residents and even landowners asked that he intervene to stop pollution and other threats at a Shanty Town in Cul de Sac area.
The civil servant, land owner and resident of Cul de Sac said she filed several complaints at ROB and the with the police regarding the parking of vehicles and the dumping of garbage on their land but the inspector in question never did anything with the complaints filed.
This resident said she noticed a government vehicle attached to ROB in the area and decided to look to see what was happening. The resident said she also decided to take photos of the government vehicle number E 42 that was parked in the area and of the civil servant as he was leaving a home that is also part of the problems that are being encountered with illegal residents in the area.
The resident said when the civil servant realized he was caught and that photos were being taken of him he became aggressive and took the government vehicle and blocked her in. She said the ROB inspector approached her vehicle aggressively. The resident has since filed a complaint with the police department against the ROB inspector for his aggressive behavior. Late on Thursday evening, the detectives called in the inspector regarding the complaint. The inspector in question had some legal issues with his wife, over a year ago, his case was handled by the prosecutor's office, and he received a conditional dismissal. SMN News also learned that the Acting Sector Director of ROB Claudius Buncamper has instructed the inspector to park the government vehicle since he was not on assignment on Thursday in the Cul de Sac area when the incident occurred.
