PHILIPSBURG--Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina has barred Suënah Laville-Martis from entering the Government Administration Building and government platforms after what he said had been “perceived as a serious threat” levelled against him by Laville-Martis.
Laville-Martis is the Chief of Cabinet of Minister of Public Health Social Development and Labor VSA Richinel Brug. She has since indicated in a public statement that she was wrongfully denied access to the building and government platforms and has indicated that she did nothing wrong and expects a full public retraction from the Prime Minister immediately. “If necessary, rest assured that I will not hesitate to take legal actions,” she said. Richinel Brug has also issued a statement indicating that he fully supported Laville-Martis.
In a letter to Parliament on Thursday, Mercelina notified Parliament of the incident, which was perceived as a threat against the Prime Minister and led to order measures.
In a letter dated January 8, 2026, addressed to Chair of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams, Mercelina said the incident had occurred on January 7, 2026. According to the letter, the civil servant “verbally conveyed a message to the prime minister, which, according to their own statement, originated from their partner, and was perceived as a serious threat.”
Mercelina said that order measures had been imposed following the incident, “in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations, and established administrative procedures.” He said the measures were “necessary and proportionate in order to safeguard public order, ensure safety, and protect the integrity and proper functioning of government operations.”
No further details were provided, as the matter remains under assessment and procedural follow-up. Mercelina wrote that he would “at this stage, refrain from providing detailed information regarding the precise sequence of events, as well as the specific processes and procedures currently being followed.” He added that Parliament would be informed if circumstances warrant further disclosure.
The matter was raised in Parliament on Thursday, when the question was asked and the Chair of Parliament later confirmed that it involved a senior civil servant and said that no minister was barred from the government building.
In a statement, Minister Brug expressed full support for Laville-Martis. “As Minister of Public Health Social Development and Labor, I would like to inform the general public that yesterday [Wednesday –Ed.], I was informed through an official correspondence from the Prime Minister that he made a decision to suspend access to the Government building and Government platforms of my Chef de Cabinet based on a supposed incident that took place yesterday, January 7th, in my office without me being present,” Brug said.
“I find it quite unfortunate that such decision was made without allowing the competent authority, which is my person, to hear both parties and decide on a way forward. Nonetheless, after having heard all parties involved in this process, I stand in full support of my Chef de Cabinet as based on my own research conducted today [Thursday].”
Unified Resilient Sint Maarten Movement (URSM) also issued a press release on the matter, calling for calm and respect for institutional processes following reports of the incident. The party said it had taken note of “public reports concerning an incident involving access to government facilities by a senior civil servant within the executive branch.”
URSM said that the issue falls within the internal operations of the executive branch and stressed the importance of confidentiality, due process, and administrative protocols. “Not every issue that enters the public domain is one that should be litigated in public,” the URSM Board said, adding that internal executive matters should be handled “without speculation or unnecessary escalation.”
The party further cautioned against drawing conclusions without official clarification and said that existing accountability mechanisms in the constitutional framework should be allowed to function as intended.
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/laville-martis-demands-retraction-eyes-legal-action-after-pm-bars-her-from-govt-building
