Dear Editor,
I called myself an observer in my last article, but I am also a digger, someone who digs and digs to get to the root of the issue. People call us investigators but I am pro-bono one. When I question the inequality of the Justice system within the Kingdom, I am not doing so because I want to. On the contrary, I believe it is my duty to inform and empower you because Sint Maarten is in a crisis in challenging post-Irma times. Knowledge is power, people!
This article appeared on January 29, 2014, by reporter Reiner of the Elsevier Weekly paper in the Netherlands. He told a story about the then Junior Minister of Finance of the Netherlands (VVD), who informed the Dutch Parliament in January 2014 during their debate that he would resign his position as he felt he no longer enjoyed the support of a majority in Parliament. He needed this support as he had the responsibility for the Tax Department as Junior Finance Minister.
Apparently, the opposition had made their positions clear and no longer had confidence in him to solve the challenges at hand. Hence, to avoid the motion of non-confidence, the Junior Minister of Finance resigned his position. The scandal regarded the non-payment of house rent allowances to thousands of inhabitants in the Netherlands. It was not the first time the Junior Minister experienced a confrontation with Parliament.
The article continues to report that also in May 2013 he barely survived a debate on the subject of fraudulent acts committed mainly by Bulgarian gangs with the allowances granted by the Netherlands.
Furthermore, the Junior Minister in the year 2012 was apparently the talk of the town when he appeared to have ties with a former councillor in the province of Limburg, a real-estate millionaire, and member of the VVD, accused of corruption in civil service. This millionaire supported him for his candidacy as Junior Minister as reported by “Het Parool” (December 17, 2012) and “NRC.nl (September 11, 2012).
What became of the Junior Minister? He was never prosecuted. Instead, he was appointed post Irma as the Dutch representative of the Steering Committee for the Recovery of Sint Maarten. In other words, he represents the Netherlands in the managing body of the established Trust Fund of the World Bank (Zakenblad.nl), entrusted with the reconstruction of our country Sint Maarten. Hence, a promotion after a dubious act. The Netherlands plays a game. They speak of Integrity Chamber, yet they have none. They speak of them being a population of Integrity, and yet their integrity does not play a role when it involves Sint Maarten. I consider this act a serious breach of Integrity.
They speak of screening and yet their ministers are not screened. Hence, what we need to do is resign from our position before we get a vote of non-confidence and then the authorities will say that the case is under investigation and, of course, the case will go cold and nothing will happen. Then, a few years later we will send you to Holland with a bigger and better position with all expenses paid. Does that sound like an equal plan? Hence, I question the task of the Integrity Chamber at this time with all kinds of persons who are entering our country, whether they should be screened. Not because the Dutch has managed to project themselves as Saints of the World must we accept everyone who comes to work in Sint Maarten. They too must be screened, because when one starts digging, there is much to be desired!
Josianne Fleming Artsen
