PHILIPSBURG--Koen Luijks will remain presiding Judge over the so-called Masbangu case involving election fraud, the Chamber of Challenges announced Friday afternoon. Attorney-at-law Cor Merx had filed a recusal request on February 17, because he considered Judge Luijks to be biased and one-sided. The Chamber of Challenges, however, found no reason to question Luijks' impartiality and no grounds to...
HARBOUR VIEW--Social and Health Insurance SZV has stepped up its anti-chikungunya fight by bringing in 10,000 chemical-free insect repellent sprays, which will be given out to residents for free. Health Minister Cornelius de Weever helped to personally distribute some of the repellents to some SZV clients, who visited the insurance service provider on Friday morning. The repellents are available at...
PHILIPSBURG--Managing Director of Princess Juliana International Airport operating company PJIAE Regina Labega led the unveiling on Friday of three bronze brown pelicans, St. Maarten's national bird, at the airport roundabout, and proudly proclaimed that the pelican has traits that are inherent in the St. Maarten personality: grace, resourcefulness, courage and sacrifice. The roundabout and the three...
~ After oil loss forces schedule change ~ PHILIPSBURG--Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas stayed overnight in St. Maarten on Thursday when it was forced to cancel two port calls after an oil loss from the ship's fixipod propulsion unit forced the shutdown of the pod as it arrived at St. Kitts' Port Zante on Tuesday. No official word could be obtained from port officials in St. Maarten, but a...
MARIGOT--The signing of a convention Thursday between the State, Cap Emploi and Association de Gestion du Fonds pour L'Insertion Professionelle des Personnes Handicapées (AGEFIPH) is to further improve employment prospects for the handicapped following the setting up of a branch Association Guadeloupéen Insertion des Handicappées(AGIH) in St. Martin connected to these organisation that will work with...
PHILIPSBURG--The Court of First Instance acquitted a married couple from the Dominican Republic of money laundering charges on Thursday. Both had been facing three years for money laundering and firearm possession. During the March 6 hearing, the Prosecutor's Office also demanded payment of a NAf. 62,970 fine in the husband's case. In the end, the Court only found possession of three firearms proven,...
PHILIPSBURG--It is "not fair" to the people of the country and to any possible new political parties that a firm date has not been set for this year's parliamentary elections, opposition National Alliance (NA) leader Member of Parliament (MP) William Marlin said at a party press conference held in Parliament House on Thursday morning. "It is important to have clarity." The NA leader's comments came...
PHILIPSBURG--The Joint Court of Justice sentenced Vesuvius-case accomplice Andrew Selvin Davis (32) to four years on Wednesday. The Court of First Instance had sentenced Davis to six years for the preparation of murder, firearm possession and for membership in a criminal organisation, on November 15, 2012. Both Davis and the Prosecutor's Office had filed for an appeal. Davis claimed he was innocent....
PHILIPSBURG--September 5, the 19th anniversary of Hurricane Luis, is the proposed date for the 2014 parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams told reporters on Wednesday. This date would be most feasible, taking into consideration the various constitutional requirements that have to be met during an election period. Wescot-Williams outlined some key aspects of this process during...
Michael Maghiro, the sculptor of the three bronze pelicans at the roundabout at the airport, stands in front of his work on Wednesday. Maghiro will be present on Friday when airport management hands over the roundabout and its pelicans to government. It will be the first time St. Maarten's national bird, the brown pelican, has been immortalised anywhere on the island. The steep price of the statues...
PHILIPSBURG--Parliamentary elections "will be held in the first week of September," in keeping with Constitutional requirements; however, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams said no firm date can yet be given. This will come once all the necessary legal machinery is in place. Wescot-Williams told the press at a Democratic Party (DP) press conference on Front Street Tuesday, that she will announce...
~ Workers want refund ~ PHILIPSBURG--Approximately 200 workers from the two campuses of the St. Maarten Academy are reportedly up in arms over the move by their school board to "illegally" deduct the 4.2 per cent Social and Health Insurance SZV premium from their January and February salaries. Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) President Claire Elshot told reporters on Tuesday, that the workers...
PHILIPSBURG--GEBE staff visited five primary schools over the last two days in an effort to promote World Water Day, which is celebrated worldwide every March 22. A team from GEBE, headed by acting Communications Officer Paula Gordon, visited the St. Joseph School, Sr. Borgia, Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr. Marie Laurent and Oranje schools. The objective of the visits was to promote GEBE's good quality...
PHILIPSBURG--Tax Inspectorate employees are fully capable of conducting the tax collections in the country. That was the stance of several Members of Parliament (MPs) during Monday's continuation of the plenary session of Parliament on development of the inspectorate, particularly, problems between the manager and staff of the Audit and Criminal Investigation Department. Finance Minister Martin Hassink,...
PHILIPSBURG--Lawyers Jeroen Veen and Willem Nelissen of Lexwell Attorneys-at-Law successfully argued in a recent case that all European Union (EU) citizens, currently 28 nationalities, have to be treated no differently than Dutch citizens when applying for residency in St. Maarten. The Court of First Instance agreed. According to a press release from Lexwell Attorneys, the court handed down a landmark...
~ After release in Curaçao ~ CAY HILL--A Dutchman was arrested outside Le Grand Marché on Bush Road on Monday on an extradition warrant issued by American authorities. R.G.K. is wanted in the United States for importing drugs, Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Tineke Kamps confirmed. He is in custody pending extradition. R.G.K. is the former bodyguard of Member of Parliament Romain Laville and a former...
PHILIPSBURG--United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament Theo Heyliger is not in favour of this year's parliamentary elections taking place in the hurricane season. Heyliger believes it is better to err on the side of safety and caution than try to do battle with the weather. Heyliger, recalling the trials of the 2010 election held in September which is the peak of the annual Atlantic Hurricane...
SIMPSON BAY--Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams says she is personally against the construction of a ship pier in Simpson Bay. A pier was presented in the draft zoning plan to residents for the second time by the Infrastructure Ministry. She called on residents to voice their concerns against any such project. "I personally do not think any pier should come there and that is my personal opinion....
PHILIPSBURG--Former GEBE Managing Director Julius Lambert passed away at home on Saturday, March 15. He was 67. Although he was involved in his community on various levels, including as part of the Emilio Wilson Estate managing team, Lambert will be remembered primarily for his legacy at GEBE, built over three decades of service. Since his retirement as GEBE Managing Director at age 60, Lambert made...
THE HAGUE--The Health Care Insurance Office ZVK arranged more than 7,000 medical referrals for patients in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba in 2013. The majority of the referrals were to Aruba, Curaçao, Colombia and the Netherlands, stated Dutch Minister of Public Health, Wellbeing and Sports Edith Schippers in a letter to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Thursday. The minister did so...