SXMElections.com

St. Maarten – Minister of Public Health, Social Affairs and Labor Cornelius de Weever has summoned Dutch VVD-parliamentarian André Bosman in an open letter – written by his attorney Jairo Bloem – to retract his statement that UP-leader Theo Heyliger paid him for signing a coalition agreement with the UP.

Four different newspapers – Today, the Telegraaf, the Amigoe in Curacao and the Daily Herald – quoted Bosman on September 30 as saying, “Heyliger simply paid De Weever.”

The statement “lacks factual basis,” Bloem states in the letter, “and they are slanderous and defamatory towards client.” The attorney labels the statement as untruthful, grievous and deliberately slanderous, based on an article in the civil code and writes that it amounts to slander based on the penal code.

“I furthermore note that your contentions do not serve any general interest. They deliberately intend to jeopardize the good name and reputation of client. Because of this, there cannot be any objective justification for the disputed actions. Your unfounded and untruthful comments actually cause severe damage to the reputation of country St. Maarten and in a broader sense also reflect negatively on the Dutch kingdom.”

Bloem writes that De Weever – based on the fact that Bosman has not retracted his statement – “has reasons to believe” that the Dutch  MP will “continue to deliberately tarnish his good name and reputation by means of untruthful, grievous and deliberate slanderous expressions.”

The attorney warns Bosman not to hide behind his parliamentary immunity because this will not protect him from civil and criminal liability, since he made the statement also outside of parliament.

“It would honor you, certainly in view of the manner in which you portray yourself as a straightforward, equitable and honorable person, to retract your incorrect and unsubstantiated statements of your own volition. This would limit the damages suffered by client and country St. Maarten to date,” the letter states.

The final paragraph of the letter summons Bosman “to refrain from making further actually incorrect, grievous and slanderous comments” about De Weever and warns that the minister “reserves the right to start legal actions.”