United People’s (UP) party parliamentarian Francisco Lacroes has called for the immediate resignation (see related story) of Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten (DP). The reason is what he described as a “direct conflict of interest” and threat to public trust following a US $92 million liability for her husband Theodore Heyliger while she remains in function.
The opposition member is not the only one to do so. Two letters to the editor in Monday’s newspaper had argued the same thing.
It is important to point out that her husband’s legal troubles began and were widely known when she ran for public office in the last few elections. Although it regards different court cases, corruption charges involving Port St. Maarten and the Simpson Bay Causeway had already been proven.
These led to a five-year prison sentence Heyliger is currently serving. The most recent ruling against him is to pay damages for sabotaging the “Dutch Village” project at the cruise terminal, which he reportedly intends to appeal.
Should Heyliger-Marten step down because of what her husband was found guilty of before and is now being accused of? Keep in mind that his latest conviction has not yet become irrevocable.
In other words, what may be considered reasonable in such cases and to what degree does marriage mean co-responsibility for each other’s actions? Would – just as an example – a divorce solve the problem?
There is a story from Willemstad in today’s newspaper about the presence of former Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte, who also served a sentence for taking bribes, in a Curaçao mission to Colombia that included a sitting minister. He was there as advisor to the trip’s organiser, government-owned community housing foundation FKP.
The fact that the MFK party he founded is now the only one in government obviously adds to the controversy. Many consider it unacceptable, but should someone like that never be allowed to have any dealings with the public sector at all?
There are really no written rules for these matters, so you be the judge.
