PHILIPSBURG:--- Former Member of Parliament and political strategist Romaine Laville has launched a blistering public attack against Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina, accusing the country’s leader of political interference, intimidation, abuse of power, and targeting his family in what is rapidly becoming one of the biggest political crises facing the coalition government.
Speaking publicly for the first time since tensions erupted between VSA Minister Richinel Brug and the Prime Minister, Laville defended his consultancy work with the Ministry of VSA, rejected allegations of corruption and conflict of interest, and revealed explosive claims involving government payments, police complaints, and alleged inappropriate conduct involving his wife.
“I WILL PROTECT MY FAMILY”
Laville said he had avoided public appearances for months but felt compelled to speak after his wife and children became caught in the political crossfire.
“I am the protector first and the provider after,” Laville declared. “When my family is being wrongly dragged, I will say something.”
The former MP insisted the controversy surrounding his consultancy agreement was politically manufactured and stressed he was hired because of his specialized qualifications in World Bank and NRPB-funded projects.
Laville said he remains the only local St. Maartener with extensive technical expertise in managing complex World Bank procurement systems and donor-funded infrastructure programs.
DOUBLE PAYMENT CLAIMS EXPLODE
One of the most damaging revelations during the interview centered on accusations that Laville improperly received excess government payments.
Laville forcefully denied the allegation and revealed documents showing that a duplicate payment made by government was identified and reversed by the bank itself.
According to Laville, the government accidentally deposited two payments totaling more than NAf. 14,553 into his account on March 13, 2025. He stated that the bank later contacted him after identifying the error and requested authorization to reverse one of the duplicate transfers.
Laville said he immediately approved the correction.
“The only time I received more money was when government mistakenly double-paid me,” Laville stated. “The bank contacted me, and I authorized the money to be taken back.”
He accused the Prime Minister of misleading Parliament and the public by implying he unlawfully benefited from government funds.
“When the Prime Minister says I collected more money than I was contracted for, the guy is a damn liar,” Laville charged.
CLAIM PM GRABBED HIS WIFE’S HAND
In one of the interview’s most explosive moments, Laville revealed that his wife allegedly told him the Prime Minister once grabbed her by the hand inside government offices.
According to Laville, his wife later recounted the incident during legal consultations linked to the ongoing dispute.
“She told him, ‘Don’t you ever touch me like that again,’” Laville said during the emotional interview.
Laville said he was shocked that his wife had never previously informed him about the alleged incident, explaining that she feared how he would react as her husband.
The revelation is expected to intensify scrutiny surrounding the already deteriorating relationship between the Prime Minister and the Ministry of VSA.
OFFICIAL COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST LAVILLE — NOT HIS WIFE
Laville also disclosed that Prime Minister Mercelina allegedly misrepresented who the official police complaint was filed against.
According to Laville, the Prime Minister informed members of the government and the Council of Ministers that a complaint had been filed against Laville’s wife, resulting in restrictions on her access to government buildings.
However, Laville claimed that during consultations with legal counsel, he discovered the complaint had actually been filed against him personally — not his wife.
“The Prime Minister of St. Martin never filed a charge against my wife,” Laville said. “He filed a charge against yours truly.”
Laville further accused the Prime Minister of filing a false complaint based on social media posts that never directly mentioned Mercelina by name.
PM ACCUSED OF POLITICAL VENDETTA
Throughout the interview, Laville repeatedly accused Prime Minister Mercelina of deliberately undermining Minister Brug and interfering in ministerial affairs.
He claimed the VSA Minister had been targeted from the beginning because elements within the ruling party never wanted him in office.
Laville described what he called a systematic campaign to remove individuals who refuse to submit to political pressure.
“If you don’t go along with what they want, they will find ways to get rid of you,” he warned.
He also alleged that the Prime Minister improperly involved himself in operational matters tied to World Bank-funded projects that legally fall under line ministries.
“A SAD DAY FOR ST. MARTIN”
The emotional interview concluded with Laville saying he no longer recognizes the political culture of St. Martin and fears qualified people are being driven away from public service.
He defended Minister Brug as one of the few politicians genuinely focused on helping ordinary citizens and vulnerable families.
“You have one of the few ministers there who truly has a heart for the people,” Laville said. “And all you see is an effort to destroy him.”
Laville ended by saying the emotional pain endured by his wife ultimately pushed him to finally speak publicly.
“Those cries are the reason why I am here today,” he said.