Philipsburg:--- The request from the Ombudsman to take on the position of Managing Director of her late husband's company for a period of one year has been sent back to the Ombudsman's bureau for further information.While the Ombudsman has to notify parliament of her undertakings, parliament does not have to grant the ombudsman approval. The point was made clear by Deputy Chairman of Parliament Petrus Leroy De Weever on Monday when he chaired the meeting.
Ombudsman Nilda Arduin Lynch informed Parliament that she will be acting as Managing Director of Arlyns Real Estate for a period of one year as she finalizes some projects her late husband Edgar Lynch was working on prior to his death. Arduin-Lynch did not request time off from parliament as was reported by other media outlets. The Ombudsman stated in her letter that she will be holding the position for a period of one year by which time she will be able to finalize and structure her late husband's real estate business.
Deputy Chairman of Parliament Petrus Leroy De Weever said that the law on the Ombudsman is clear and it states that the Ombudsman does not need the blessings of parliament if he or she is taking on another job. The only obligation the Ombudsman has is to notify parliament of such undertaking. De Weever said while the request should have been noted as incoming documents he allowed members of parliament to discuss the matter.
Member of Parliament Roy Marlin expressed concerns on the position the Ombudsman intends to take up for a period of one year as the Managing Director of Arlyn Real Estate. Marlin said based on his knowledge he is aware that the position will create a conflict of interest since the company in question was busy negotiating business with government. Parliament agreed to ask the Ombudsman to provide parliament with the list of projects she will be working on while managing the company. The chair made clear that they know the integrity of the Ombudsman but felt that parliament needs to guard itself against any possible conflicts of interest.
The Ombudsman also requested that senior civil servant Patsy Phillips be appointed as acting Ombudsman. However, Phillips is a civil servant who is currently working at the office of the Ombudsman. Parliament said before Phillips is appointed acting Ombudsman she must be placed on non-active duty by the government of St. Maarten.
