PHILIPSBURG--Soualiga Action Movement (SAM) Member of Parliament (MP) Franklin Meyers on Wednesday firmly denied ever seeking to keep Theo Heyliger in jail, saying he has never made such a statement about Heyliger or other people who have been arrested, including O’Neil Arrindell and Frans Richardson.
“I have never had a discussion where it pertains the incarceration of Mr. Heyliger with regards to him staying in jail,” Meyers said towards the end of his remarks during the continuation of the draft 2026 budget debate.
Meyers said the claim that he wants Heyliger to remain incarcerated has taken on a life of its own. He recalled that shortly after he accepted the Ministry of Justice as part of the coalition, someone told him that now that he had Justice, he would not let Heyliger out of jail. Meyers said he had not even appointed the sitting Minister at that point.
He said he wanted to make it emphatically clear that he would not address the issue again.
Meyers also referred to a march held on August 29, 2018, which started at the old Government Building, went to Parliament, continued along Front Street and returned. He said he marched alongside Heyliger.
He also recalled wearing a Carnival costume the following year with “Free Theo” written on the back. Meyers said some of the same people who are now suggesting that he is trying to keep Heyliger in jail were among those previously calling for Heyliger to be locked up. He said those positions can be found in articles online.
Meyers said he knows where he stood then and where he stands now, adding that Heyliger’s continued incarceration does not concern him.
Meyers also addressed the postponement of a budget meeting that was initially scheduled for August 6. He said the meeting was pushed back by one week and subsequently another week.
He explained that his uncle, whom he grew up with in New York, will turn 90 on Friday and that a birthday celebration is being held in Atlanta. Meyers said he had made arrangements months ago and bought his ticket.
He said November 26 will mark two years that the Council of Ministers has been sitting and that government would have been going in, but someone considered 17 days to be the appropriate representation of St Maarten.
Meyers said he intends to attend his uncle’s celebration but told his coalition partners that he would cancel the trip if necessary. He ended by saying that information regarding the attendance of Parliament is expected to be made public sometime next week in the Parliamentary Year Report. Meyers said he hopes it is published so that everyone can see the situation for themselves.
He also said he does not need anyone to tell him what his role is in Parliament or what he should or should not do, adding that he is capable of handling that himself.
