PHILIPSBURG:--- Incoming Minister of VROMI Chris Wever who was supposed to take up his position this week is facing setbacks allegedly because the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Leona Romeo Marlin is holding up the process.
SMN News learned that the reports from the prosecutor’s office and VDSM are ready and has cleared Wever however, the Prime Minister is yet to submit the reports to the Governor for vetting and appointment of the Minister.
Sources within the coalition said that the Prime Minister wants to keep Minister Miklos Giterson in office for a few days or weeks since she wants him to sign off on a land swap that would benefit her personally.
According to the information provided to SMN News, the Prime Minister wants to swap the parcel of land she received within days from government a few years ago for another parcel of land.
The acting head of domain affairs Raeyon Peterson is not comfortable with the request of the Prime Minister and is being pressured to make it happen, at all cost, prior to Giterson leaving office. Questions are now being raised as to whether the head of domain affairs would report the Prime Minister's request to the integrity chamber.
SMN News further learned that the Prime Minister already threatened the incoming Minister telling him that she would be monitoring everything he does especially since he was appointed by MP Chanel Brownbill. It is alleged that Romeo Marlin told Wever that if she sees anything that does not look right she will report him to the Prosecutor’s Office.
SMN News learned that the Prime Minister continues to threaten civil servants with regards to integrity issues while she herself has none in seeking to obtain government land for personal benefit.