Rinaldo (left) and Randy Webster at the road block in Orient Bay in January. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT—A hearing that should have taken place in the Marigot court house on Thursday, May 5, involving the three Webster brothers was postponed until October 13 due to the absence of one of the brother’s lawyers.
The brothers were summoned to court accused of blocking the RN7 road in Griselle, Cul-de- Sac, with heavy equipment over four days in January to draw attention to their protest against the auctioning off in Guadeloupe of a parcel of land on January 25, 2022, that belonged to their father Pierre Rudolphe Webster and for which he has a notarised deed.
The parcel was sold for 550,000 euros. Blocking of the road drew considerable complaints at the time. The brothers were also arrested but released later following a massive protest in La Savane.
The Webster family was supported by the population of Quartier d' Orléans, then Grand Case, and by truckers, over what was considered to be a grave injustice and setting a dangerous precedent in terms of the threat to other St. Martin families who own land.
The public prosecutor's office did not oppose the postponement, but on condition that this would be the only postponement. The Collectivité and the State representative have taken on the case to try and find solutions. A breakthrough came when the Websters and former President of the Collectivité Daniel Gibbs were able to secure a meeting with advisors of the Minister of Justice in Paris to explain the case. Following that meeting it was recently confirmed that a mission of the General Inspectorate of Justice, supported by other administration has been appointed to investigate the land issues in St. Martin.
As soon as the new French government is fully installed, the members of this mission will make several trips to St. Martin over a period of three months, in order to study and attempt to rectify the problems caused by Beauperthuy succession. The collective of collectives are continuing to support the Websters in their battle to find justice.
