The Prosecutor’s Office will not initiate a criminal investigation based on the complaint filed by dr. Petit with the National Detectives Agency on September 1, 2016 concerning alleged financial malpractice committed by the Minister of Health, Social Development and Labour and the Director of the Social and Health Insurance Executive Body, USZV. All parties concerned have been officially informed today about the decision. The Prosecutor’s Office is of the opinion that there is no reasonable suspicion of guilt of any criminal offense, which should be the basis to start a criminal investigation. The complaint, which was also widely reported in the local press, primarily concerns alleged breaches of an administrative or civil law nature.
( Editor's note) It should be noted that SMN News contacted the Attorney General Guus Schram and Chief Prosecutor of St Maarten Ton Maan on Tuesday evening to ask what was the status of the complaint filed by Dr. Michel Petit when it became clear that Minister of VSA Emil Lee will be returning as Minister. Instead of getting a clear cut response from the Justice representatives, Attorney General Guus Schram responded by sending a letter he sent to SMN News in 2012. What is questionable in this entire affair is the fact that the Minister and Director USZV were already informed that there will not be any investigations conducted against them even though an official complaint was filed by the former chairman of USZV board. It is clear that since SMN News asked about the status of the complaint this press release came out. One would have to ask why the current Minister of Finance failed the screening process the first time, and if he was informed before he submitted his name for screening? and why the Prosecution chose to delay the swearing in of Minister of VROMI Angel Meyers when an ousted Minister filed a false complaint against him for leaking information, same goes for Leroy de Weever who also failed the screening based on a complaint that was filed against him, not to mention Peggy Ann Brandon who also failed the screening because of alignment to former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan. One has to ask what kind of justice St. Maarten has and how does the judicial system works and for whom?)
Geen strafrechtelijk onderzoek naar USZV
Het Openbaar Ministerie zal geen strafrechtelijk onderzoek instellen naar aanleiding van een op 1 september 2016 gedane klacht bij de Landsrecherche Sint Maarten terzake overtreding van beweerdelijke financiële malversaties begaan door de Minister van Volksgezondheid, Sociale Ontwikkeling en Arbeid en de directeur van het Uitvoeringsorgaan Sociale Zaken en Ziektekosten Verzekering (USZV). Alle betrokken partijen zijn vandaag officieel op de hoogte gebracht van deze beslissing.
Naar oordeel van het Openbaar Ministerie is er geen sprake van een redelijk vermoeden van schuld aan enig strafbaar feit, hetgeen de basis zou moeten zijn voor een strafrechtelijk onderzoek. De klacht, die tevens breed is uitgemeten in de lokale pers,
ziet voornamelijk op beweerdelijk handelen in strijd met bestuursrechtelijke, dan wel civielrechtelijke regelgeving.
Prosecutor's Press Release
No criminal investigation into USZV.
