PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Health and Social Affairs Emil Lee is not out of the woods yet, as he will soon have to answer to investigators about the alleged misuse of Government-issued fuel bonds for his business and placing his Government-owned vehicle licence plate on his personal vehicle post-Hurricane Irma.
Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Norman Serphos said on Monday that there is no update as yet on how the Prosecutor will proceed, but the complaint is being investigated. Minister of Infrastructure VROMI Christophe Emmanuel filed the complaint against his colleague Minister Lee with the Prosecutor’s Office early December.
If it is found proven Lee will have to pay a fine or face jail time for the violation. Emmanuel informed the Council of Ministers that he had filed the complaint as a private citizen, not on behalf of the Council of Ministers. He said publicly that Lee had misused his Government number plate MR4 when he placed it on his personal vehicle following the hurricane.
Lee responded publicly when the allegations first surfaced in November. He said that despite attempts to safeguard his Government vehicle during Irma, the front windshield had been “badly damaged.” This made driving the vehicle unsafe and use would have subjected the vehicle to additional water damage. The vehicle has been covered and unused since Irma.
Lee said that instead of requesting that Government rent a vehicle, it was decided to use a personal vehicle, a pickup truck, as a temporary replacement vehicle.
“The vehicle was purchased shortly before Irma and, while properly registered and insured, no licence plates were available, since Government had run out of licence plates. Since only authorised emergency vehicles were allowed on the road and since only authorised emergency vehicles were allowed to access certain gas stations, it was decided to temporarily place the MR4 licence plate on the truck,” he said.
Lee maintained that he had discussed the matter with then-Prime Minister William Marlin and it had been agreed that these were unusual times and for the moment many atypical things were taking place. It was agreed that efforts were better invested in other things and to continue as is until a more permanent solution could be found.
