PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams told members of the media on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers weekly press briefing that the Government of St. Maarten (both her and the Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson) would like to thank the person or persons who leaked the Integrity Report given by Judge Bob Wit and his team. "This gives us as a government the opportunity to focus on the response of the report. Wescot Williams admitted that government was late in its response and the committee was duly informed, she said that the report "Doing things Right" has some 40 advices given to government. Wescot Williams said that the Council of Ministers dealt with their response on Tuesday in the Council of Ministers meetings. She further stated that as soon as the reaction was finalized it was sent to the committee, the Governor of St. Maarten and the Kingdom Council of Ministers and it will also be made public.
"For us the important points for government is to say how government will deal with the advices given by the committee." The newspapers that published the report focused on the non-declaration from the Ministers that held office from 2010 to 2014. Wescot Williams further stated that she recently sent a letter to Parliament informing them that none of the Ministers from SWW-1 submitted their declarations of assets prior to taking and leaving office, three Ministers from SWW-2 cabinet submitted their declarations when they left office while all the Ministers in SWW-3 submitted their declarations. Wescot Williams said Ministers are supposed to make their declarations at least three times, the first being when they are being vetted to become Minister, the second time they have to submit a declaration is while in office and the third time is when those Ministers leave office.
