PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Omar Ottley publicly addressed his recent arrest by the Landsrecherche on Monday during the notification period of Parliament’s public meeting, delivering an emotional and defiant statement in which he maintained his innocence and accused authorities of selective prosecution.
Ottley told Parliament that he had to arrive at the National Detective Office around 7:50 to 8:00 a.m. He said that by then, the Prosecutor’s Office had already sent information to the media, and that this made him aware of what he described as the motive behind the matter.
He also said the incident involved his brother allegedly being attacked with a knife, and that he chose to separate the parties rather than become involved in the confrontation. The MP centered his remarks on an incident involving his brother, claiming that his brother intervened honorably during a confrontation rather than escalating the situation.
“I was very proud of myself,” Ottley stated. “To see my brother being attacked with a knife, and I still did the honorable thing and separated instead of being involved.”
Despite his arrest, Ottley said he remains confident that the judicial process will ultimately clear his name, citing previous legal battles in which he says he was vindicated following investigations or accusations against him.
“The court will take its process,” he said. “I have done this dance too many times before and over and over and over have been vindicated.”
During his address, Ottley also referenced past controversies involving fellow Members of Parliament, arguing that elected officials are frequently targeted through accusations, extortion attempts, and politically motivated investigations. He warned against what he described as a pattern of using prosecutorial powers to damage reputations ahead of elections.
“This was placed in order to stop an individual from being Prime Minister,” Ottley alleged, accusing the Prosecutor’s Office of “selective ambition” and “selective amnesia.”
The MP further argued that politicians should not be presumed guilty solely on the basis of accusations or arrests, emphasizing that legal due process must prevail.
“Let me put this clear for the public — if you do the crime, you do the time,” he said. “But in this case, my family and I did nothing.”
Ottley concluded his statement by calling for greater accountability within the justice system and warning against what he described as unchecked authority by prosecutors.
“You will no longer have the authority to destroy people’s lives and then just say, ‘Oh, it’s over,’” he said before yielding the floor.
The Landsrecherche investigation and any potential charges against Ottley remain ongoing. Authorities have not yet publicly released additional details regarding the matter.
Parliament debate turns heated as MPs demand accountability from Government.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Tensions flared in Parliament during Monday’s public meeting as Members of Parliament pressed government officials on issues ranging from transparency and governance to environmental management and the deteriorating state of public sanitation across the country.
Member of Parliament Francisco Lacroes called on Prime Minister Luc Mercelina to “tell Parliament the full truth and nothing but the truth” regarding matters to be discussed during the meeting. Lacroes stressed that Parliament and the people of Sint Maarten deserve complete transparency from the country’s leadership.
The public meeting, which had reportedly been scheduled for quite some time, also sparked criticism from MP Egbert Jurendy Doran, who questioned the amount of parliamentary time being dedicated to what he described as a personal issue between the Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) Richinel Brug.
Doran expressed concern that Parliament’s valuable time could be better spent addressing pressing national matters affecting the population rather than political disagreements among members of the executive branch.
Meanwhile, MP Lyndon Lewis defended the need for the meeting while emphasizing that Parliament must take a stand on issues impacting the country. Although Lewis acknowledged the importance of the Nature Policy discussions, he sharply criticized the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), saying the ministry was failing to deliver meaningful results for the people of Sint Maarten.
Lewis pointed to growing concerns over waste management, stating that garbage pileups can be seen throughout the country. He argued that residents continue to face mounting frustrations over sanitation and environmental conditions while awaiting concrete action from government authorities.
The debate underscored growing tensions within Parliament as lawmakers continue to demand accountability, improved governance, and visible action on the issues affecting daily life in Sint Maarten.
Continuation Public Meeting of Parliament for deliberations with the Minister of VROMI on various concerns related to the Ministry, and ratification of IPKO Agreements List.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Public meeting on May 26, 2026.
The Public meeting which commenced on April 1, 2026, and was adjourned, with a continuation and adjournment on May 11, 2026, will be reconvened on Tuesday at 14.30 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.
The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure will be returning to Parliament to provide answers to the questions posed by the Members of Parliament in the second round of agenda point 2.
The agenda points are:
- Deliberations with the Minister of VROMI addressing various concerns related to the Ministry (IS/331/2025-2026 dated November 13, 2025, and IS/669/2025-2026 dated February 9, 2026)
- Ratification Agreements Lists of the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO) held from February 19-21, 2026, in Oranjestad, Aruba (IS/724/2025-2026 dated February 23, 2026)
Agenda point 2 was requested by MP F.A. Lacroes, MP O.E.C. Ottley, MP E.J. Doran, MP A.M.R. Irion, MP D.T.J. York and MP L.C.J. Lewis, and agenda point 3 was requested by MP F.A. Lacroes, MP O.E.C. Ottley, and MP L.C.J. Lewis.
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.
The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.
The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org; www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament and www.pearlfmradio.sx
Minister Brug announces significant progress in Healthcare Professional Registrar project.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), Richinel Brug, has announced significant progress in the ongoing Healthcare Professional Registrar Project, which is now entering an important next phase focused on stakeholder review, system design, and legislative preparation.
According to Minister Brug, several key components of the project have already been completed over the past months, including stakeholder consultations, legislative analyses, comparative reviews of healthcare registration systems within the Dutch Kingdom and the region, and working visits to Aruba and Curaçao to assess best practices and opportunities for collaboration.
The Minister noted that the project team has also completed important groundwork related to the future operational and legislative structure of the healthcare professional registry.
“We are now moving into a very important stage of the project where stakeholder feedback and practical system design will help shape the final direction of the healthcare registrar for Sint Maarten, prior to drafting the actual legislation,” Minister Brug stated.
The next step in the project is the finalization of the discovery report, which will incorporate feedback and input received from all relevant stakeholders consulted throughout the process. Once finalized, the report, together with proposed design options for the type of health registry Sint Maarten should establish, will be distributed to stakeholders for review during June and July 2026.
Minister Brug explained that stakeholder involvement remains critical to ensuring that the final registry system is practical, transparent, effective, and tailored to Sint Maarten’s healthcare environment.
To continue the consultation process, the project team intends to host a follow-up stakeholder meeting during mid-to-late August 2026. During this session, stakeholders will have the opportunity to openly discuss the proposed registry models, provide additional feedback, and assist in refining the preferred design for the future healthcare professional registry.
This consultation phase will also help prepare the project for the next operational stage, including the publication of the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the ICT Specialist, which will support the development of the future digital registry platform.
Following completion of the stakeholder consultation process, the project’s starting note is expected to be finalized during the third quarter of 2026 once all relevant stakeholder information has been incorporated. This will allow the legislative draftsman to formally commence the drafting process for the updated healthcare legislation required to support the registrar.
“This project is about building a stronger and more transparent healthcare system for the people of Sint Maarten. By establishing clear professional standards and a proper registration framework for Sint Maarten, we are taking important steps to strengthen healthcare governance, improve oversight, and safeguard patient safety for years to come,” the Minister concluded.
Economic Licenses Reopening.
POND ISLAND:--- The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunication (TEATT) hereby informs the public that the Department of Economic Licenses (DEL) has officially reopened for services as of Monday, May 25, 2026.
The DEL Front Desk, located at the Public Service Center (PSC) within the Government Administration Building, will operate as follows:
License Applications & Requests
Applications and requests must be submitted in person only.
Operating Hours:
Monday to Friday
8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Clients are required to take a number from the queue system and wait their turn for service.
Please note the following:
• Only two (2) application submissions per person per day will be accepted.
• Persons with more than two submissions will be required to rejoin the line and obtain a new number for additional submissions.
• Applicants must submit two (2) copies of each application/request in order to receive a stamped copy as proof of submission and receipt by the department.
License Collections / Pickups
Processed licenses may be collected in person during the following hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Please note that the DEL Front Desk will remain closed on Wednesday afternoons, in conjunction with the operating schedule of the Public Service Center.
For additional information, the public may contact the Department of Economic Licenses via:
📞 Call/WhatsApp: +1 (721) 527-7622
📧 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.