PHILIPSBURG--The Court of First Instance will examine a request submitted by the Attorney General to initiate a civil investigation into possible mismanagement at Port of St. Maarten on Thursday, May 24. The Prosecutor’s Office had formerly requested to do so in September 2017.
The preliminary investigation spawned several questions about the state of affairs at Port St. Maarten. It was discovered that in the past the government-owned company had three members on the Board of Directors instead of five, which is the legal requirement. Annual accounts were not approved on time and internal legal guidelines were not complied with.
The manner in which projects were put out to tender and the way loans were taken out also raised questions, according to the Prosecutor’s Office. The separate “Emerald” criminal investigation has led to the suspicion that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo, together with other suspects, had over a number of years allegedly robbed the harbour of at least US $8 million by signing fraudulent invoices.
For this reason, the Prosecutor’s Office questions the port’s financial situation and calls on the Court to investigate whether the company is in a position to carry out its obligations. The Court will hear evidence from the prosecution and objections from defense on Thursday. The court then would decide on whether the evidence presented is justified.
