~ Political confidants replace former board members, a possible conflict of interest with the new chairman.~
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Council of Ministers appointed a few new members of the Supervisory Board for the St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies (SMHGC). The new candidates are Witney Murray, Sherman Marten, Attorney at Law Shaira Bommel, Emilio Kalmera, Christopher Weaver, and Charles Thomas.
SMN News learned that the Corporate Governance Council had given negative advice for Witney Murray who is a close confidant to an MP supporting the present coalition government. Murray is also on the Council of Advice and a former Secretary to former Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs. Murray works on advice on every legislation that goes to Parliament, this, of course, is a clear conflict of interest.
However, it is not clear how it was possible for the CGC to miss the family relation between suspended MP Theodore Heyliger and Sherman Marten and the possible conflict of interest in having Attorney Shaira Bommel on the Supervisory Board when it is a known fact that Bommel is working for the law firm that represents Heyliger who is currently in pretrial detention.
Currently, the Prosecutor’s Office along with the TBO is busy investigating several cases related to the SMHGC where Heyliger was named as a possible suspect. One of those investigations is the DRACO case which involves the construction of the Causeway. Besides the criminal investigations, there are civil cases presently ongoing.
Sources say the Minister of TEATT that holds the responsibility of the SMHGC was under severe pressure to dismiss the former board members namely Fernando Williams and Lloyd Paul to create space for the new candidates that are affiliated with MPs from the current UD/SMCP coalition Government. It is further said that Minister Stuart Johnson made the appointments to avoid further sanctions from the members of the United Democrats and its coalition partner, while the other Ministers that voted to dismiss the Williams and Paul voted along party lines.
Questions are now being raised as to how diligent is the CGC and if they conducted an indebt investigation prior to rendering its advice to the Council of Ministers.
