PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten was not given an opportunity to give input in the Dutch Government’s plans for the strengthening of the Justice system in the country, despite a protocol being in place indicating that the plans would be hammered out with St. Maarten’s input.
Justice Minister Dennis Richardson told reporters on Wednesday that he was not “amused” by the attitude of Dutch National Police Chief Gerard Bouman, who presented the plans to him during his recent visit to St. Maarten and denied St. Maarten an opportunity to give its input.
Bouman informed Richardson during his visit that he was not here to work out the protocol on the strengthening of the Justice system in St. Maarten. Bouman told Richardson he wanted to inform him that he had met with Dutch Minister of Security and Justice Ard van der Steur and Dutch Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk, who decided that their priority was combating corruption in St. Maarten.
Bouman also told Richardson that 50 Kingdom Detective Cooperation Team RST members would be sent to St. Maarten and that 22 million euros would be used to strengthen the Justice system, in particular the Prosecutor’s Office and judges.
Richardson said that when he had informed Bouman that he had signed a protocol in the Netherlands agreeing that St. Maarten would work out the details together with the Dutch, Bouman had said, “We don’t need you.”
Richardson said he had asked Bouman how he would proceed without “local input from our own detectives and Police Force” and Bouman’s response had been, “We don’t need them either. We have so much information on the situation in St. Maarten that it does not justify working with you all.”
Richardson said he then had “looked at him [Bouman – Ed.] and I said, ‘Success with that,’” and the meeting had ended.
The Dutch Representative in Philipsburg was called in and was told that Government “was not amused by the attitude of Bouman.” Richardson said the Government of St. Maarten wanted to know whether Bouman’s position was supported by the entire Dutch Government and whether Plasterk and Van der Steur had decided to “put aside the protocol. ... We want to know from them what is their position on this matter.”
St. Maarten is still awaiting a response to its questions on this matter.
