Dear Editor,
As someone with keen interest in the tourism industry, I question the procedure of appointing the director of the St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA).
Last Saturday, this newspaper announced the new STA director Rolando Brison. This announcement was made by Minister Ingrid Arrindell accompanied by MP Silvio Matser. Two days later the headline of The Daily Herald accused the new director of embezzlement of a substantial amount while employed at Winair. Mike Ferrier stated that Brison admitted that he embezzled a substantial amount of money from government-owned airline Winair. Brison denied the allegation in an invited comment and that he would seek legal advice.
Rolando Brison is a young St. Maartener, and I am 100 per cent in support of young people from the island obtaining good positions in whatever organisation, but for the position of STA Director you have to have a clean record. Minister Arrindell and MP Matser should have been more careful before announcing Mr. Brison.
On Wednesday, August 17, the Today newspaper also stated that Brison embezzled money from Winair. The paper mentioned an amount of US $41,000 and the newspaper said that this appears from documents they have in their procession. The paper even states that Brison was “in a bit of a troubled situation” and that instead of returning the funds he received from pilots and crew, he used them privately.
The same day The Daily Herald published an article based on an interview with Rolando Brison, the “new STA-head” said that the issue revolved around a petty cash box at Winair. This box was used for, among other things, food allowances, flight department expenses, allowances for overtime and other small expenses. There was no lock, no key and anyone could access this box. “All seven of us used it freely on a daily basis. No one controlled our use of these funds,” Brison stated in the article. Nobody could account for this cash, and this went on for four years. How is it possible that this happens in a company on St. Maarten, and especially a government-owned company?
The August 18th newspapers both announced that Mr. Brison was never appointed as a STA director. Minister Gibson of Finance (and Vice Prime Minister) said that “STA director Rolando Brison had not been appointed by Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Ingrid Arrindell.” Minister Arrindell had informed the Council of Ministers last week Tuesday that she had not appointed Brison, but that she would hold a press conference concerning the issue soon. The picture on Saturday’s front page shows Brison and Arrindell signing an agreement while MP Matser looks on with a big smile.
I think that a clear explanation is warranted to the people of St. Maarten.
Jelle Hamstra
Democratic Party (DP) Candidate #9
