L.G. was found critically wounded on Mullet Bay Beach in the early hours of Saturday, February 26, 2011. News reports indicate that the chef was rushed to the Sint Maarten Medical Center, but had to be flown out to Martinique for specialized treatment. He reportedly died from his injuries at about 8:00pm the same day.
"Although Police are no doubt treating this case with the urgency and seriousness it deserves, I am obviously upset that something like this would happen on our shores," Minister Meyers who is currently overseas said on Monday.
"Whatever may have happened, it is clear that the deceased couldn't have inflicted the injuries that caused his death upon himself. Someone did it to him, and whoever it is should not be allowed to go scot free," the Minister added.
Minister Meyers noted that while the island, like so many other parts of the world, is grappling with an increase in criminal activity, any crime directed against stakeholders in our tourism economy should be considered "a crime against Sint Maarten." This holds true, he added, whether the victim is a Haitian gardener, a Sint Maarten casino worker, or a chef of a mega-yacht anchored at the Simpson Bay Marina.
"I strongly condemn such crimes, regardless of who the victim may be. In this case, the victim happens to be a member of the yachting sector, which is one of the fastest growing sectors of our hospitality industry to which it makes a very significant contribution," Minister Meyers stated.
Joining in expressing her sympathies to the family of the deceased, Director of Tourism, Regina LaBega, echoed the minister's sentiments and stressed that crime is becoming a major threat to the island's fragile tourist economy.
"We are going through a period in which austerity measures are cutting into the already meagre financial resources we have for marketing and promoting the island. Stories like these are certainly not good for the name and image of the island," Director of Tourism LaBega said on Monday.
According to the Director of Tourism, "the luxury yachting industry has an enormous impact on our hospitality industry."
She revealed that a recent survey showed that "crew entertainment makes up 52% of the reason why the yachting industry selects Sint Maarten."
"Besides, the level of satisfaction with the facilities and services in Sint Maarten is very high, and we want to maintain that," she continued.
LaBega described as "considerable" the expenditure by visitors, owners and crew of luxury yachts on shore activities including accommodation, dining, car rentals, recreational activities and shopping.
"My condolences go out to the family of the deceased chef of the mega-yacht Cheetah Moon, and our collective prayers are with them," Hon. Minister Meyers and LaBega added.
