~Residents speaking out about alleged illegalities. ~
PHILIPSBURG:--- The suspect that was arrested by police for allegedly selling a stolen vehicle in 2018 that was eventually confiscated by police has been accused by several persons who contacted SMN News of running a racket at the Tax Department where she works as a consultant.
Several government workers said the individual was an employee of the tax office but left her job about 3 years ago and began working as a consultant. The angered civil servants said that the suspect was responsible for the COHIER Register at the tax department. They explained that this is the system that breaks down who gets tax returns and those that has to pay taxes after the monthly data is entered in the system.
According to the staffers they said that the department head Sherry Hazel is running the tax department like her personal business and even though the position has been vacant for 3 years the vacancy was never filled, and instead, the department hiring someone or conduct in-house training, the department hires the person as a consultant The staffers claimed that the suspect files (0) for her own businesses as though she does not have employees and other have tax-related discrepancies while manipulating the system.
The civil servants said the department head feels as though she is untouchable while condoning lots of wrongdoings while throwing stones and hiding her hands. They called on the National Alliance Minister of Finance to put the party politics aside and clean up the tax department because St. Maarten is on its knees begging the Dutch Government for money while certain friends and families are sucking government through the tax department.
The government workers are calling on the Prosecutors Office and the Minister of Justice to ensure an in-depth investigation is conducted when it relates to the suspect and all her illegal activities.
In the meantime, other persons also contacted SMN News and said that the family that operates a restaurant on Bush Road sold a number of stolen vehicles all of which they accused the police of knowing about because they also accused the police of being part of the stolen vehicle racket that has crippled several car rental companies and insurance companies.
Another civil servant also explained that the Minister of Justice Anna Richardson is well aware how much loss the banks on St. Maarten suffer monthly because the Minister while working at a local bank was responsible for putting in place a better system that could track and prevent the stealing of vehicles. They said back then the Minister complained about St. Maarten not having the necessary legislation in place to properly register each and every vehicle as it enters St. Maarten. They said that the Minister is now sitting on the seat where legislations are to be written and as such, they called on her to ensure a proper data system is established on St. Maarten so that the stolen vehicle racket can be curbed.
Further allegations are that the Inspection department and the Receivers Office do not even take the time to properly type in the VIN numbers in their system creating a total confusion.
