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PHILIPSBURG: --- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson said in an invited comment that the Council of Ministers recently approved an organization structure (plan) for the Pointe Blanche Prison and the Police Department of St. Maarten (KPSM).Minister Richardson said that the approved plan was sent to the Council of Advice for their approval since what has to be done must be done through a Ministerial decree.One of the things the Government of St. Maarten wants done is to hire more people to manage the house of detention but those persons have to have the required knowledge.Minister Richardson also confirmed that there are certain positions at the prison that has to be filled.Some months ago two persons from the management team left the prison management simply because they could not get along with the Director of the Prison Edward Rohan who was just a prison guard in the Netherlands but was appointed Director of Pointe Blanche Prisons through a political appointment.Former Minister of Justice Rolandn Duncan appointed four person through a Ministerial decree as the Management Team of Pointe Blanche Prison. They were Wilfred Williams who has some 20-years working at the Pointe Blanche Prison. At the time Williams was appointed as part of the Management Team of the Pointe Blanche Prison he held the positions such as the head supervisor, coordinator, and acting head of the department while working with the former director of the prisons Rudsel Ricardo. According to information SMN News received is that Williams was removed from the Prison without the knowledge of the Minister of Justice and was sent to the Justice Academy where he teaches students that enroll at the Justice Academy to become prison guards. SMN News further learnt that when Williams was removed from his position Ludmilla Gumbs resigned from her position since the main person with prison knowledge was removed illegally from his position. The third person former Minister Duncan appointed was Norwin Reenis who has 25 years of service at the prison but has been on sick leave for quite some time now while the fourth person Magnus Evers. However, Evers does not have the required knowledge to manage the prison with Rohan alone. SMN News learnt that the management team could not get along with the Director of the Prisons Edward Rohan because he refused take any of the advices given to him by the Management Team. The source within Pointe Blanche Prison said that the situation at the prison is unhealthy and something has to be done to remove Rohan from his position because he does not have the knowledge to run a prison and the excuse given that he is a "local boy" is not sufficient to keep convicts in line when they are serving their sentences or even held in pre-trial detention.While Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson and the Council of Ministers wants to appoint knowledgeable people; the question that is now lingering is where are the persons that were appointed by the former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan.A source within the prison said that Rohan even lied to the National Detectives when a well-known prisoner was injured while the department head was not on duty.SMN News further understands that the prison director even used monies from the Ministry without getting approval from the acting Secretary General and that matter was basically swept under the preverbal carpet.
