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PHILIPSBURG--Justice Minister Dennis Richardson has been asked by Members of Parliament (MPs) to look into why they are receiving mobile phone calls from prisoners housed inside of Pointe Blanche House of Detention.
United St. Maarten Party (USP) leader Frans Richardson was the first to raise the issue in Parliament with the minister on Wednesday. The MP said he was not sure if his phone is “tapped,†but he answers the calls and tries to hang up quickly. His concern stems from the justice authorities not being able to halt the access to banned items such as mobile phones in the prison.
United People’s (UP) party MP Johan Leonard, a former police officer, said he also receives calls from prisoners, but he was willing to talk to “his people†and he was not afraid of anyone.
National Alliance (NA) MP Christophe Emmanuel said like his fellow MPs he gets phone calls from prison too. “But, I ain’t ‘fraid,†he said as he confirmed that he also listens to what the caller wants to say without worry that his phone may be tapped by anyone.
None of the MPs divulged the nature of the conversations they have had with prisoners while on the forbidden phone calls.
The Police Department and Prison Guards have conducted random searches in the prison and confiscated a number of banned items such as shivs or shanks (improvised prison knives) and mobile phones with prepaid calling service and internet.
