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Passenger Transport Registration

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Inspectorate of Economic and Transport Affairs (IETA) instructs all holders of a passenger transport permit to register their operation with the Transport Control Unit no later than Tuesday, February 25, 2025, to receive a confirmation letter. The confirmation letter validates that the operations documentation and vehicle meet the applicable regulations to carry out service.

In prior years, the annual confirmation letter process was solely conducted to pay the annual road tax payments Read more

Kpsm Enhances Traffic Enforcement Measures Amid Ongoing Concerns

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten (KPSM) — The Sint Maarten Police Force (KPSM) has intensified its efforts to address traffic violations and mechanical infractions through a series of targeted vehicle and traffic controls conducted during the third week of January 2025. These operations reflect KPSMs commitment to safeguarding public safety and maintaining order on the islands roadways.

Summary of Enforcement Actions:

Harold Jack Area (Early Week):

A total of 237 vehicles were stopped and inspected. 36 fines were issued for a variety of traffic and mechanical infractions. 14 scooters were subjected to checks, resulting in the impoundment of one scooter due to non-compliance.

Causeway and Sucker Garden Areas (Later in the Week):

40 vehicles were stopped and inspected. Three suspects were arrested on suspicion of criminal activity. Two firearms were confiscated as part of these operations. One scooter and one car were impounded for further investigation.

KPSM emphasizes that these enforcement actions are part of a broader strategy to address ongoing safety concerns on the island Read more

Tackling: Allowing Heavily Tinted Vehicles Poses Risks That Outweigh Potential Benefit

A heavily tinted vehicle.

 

~ Experience support regulating excessive tint ~

PHILIPSBURG--Justice Minister Natalie Tackling made her position on allowing heavily tinted vehicles clear when asked about the matter during the parliamentary debate on the 2025 budget last week. She said allowing heavily tinted vehicles poses unnecessary risks that far outweigh any potential benefit.

The minister said while statistics provide valuable insights, practical enforcement experience and the precautionary principle strongly support regulating excessive tint as a measure to enhance public safety and road security.

Heavily tinted vehicles reduce driver visibility, particularly at night, increasing the likelihood of accidents and also obstruct visibility for other road users, creating further hazards on the road, the minister noted.

While only a minority of tinted vehicles may be used in crimes, the concealment they provide facilitates illegal activities such as transporting contraband or evading recognition after a crime, necessitating proactive regulation to minimize these risks, the Minister told Parliament.

She was at the time responding to questions from National Alliance (NA) Members of Parliament (MPs) Ardwell Irion and Egbert Doran who asked what data is being used to indicate that tint on vehicles will be dangerous Read more

Former Mp Akeem Arrindell Sentenced To 18 Months, Banned From Holding Public Office

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten A former St. Maarten Member of Parliament (MP) has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and banned from serving as a civil servant or standing for elections for six and a half years in a vote-buying case. The ban period is the maximum as set out in the countrys criminal laws.

The Court of First Instance delivered its verdict on Wednesday morning in the case brought by the Prosecutors Office (OM SXM) against former MP A.A. and two co-suspects. The sentences reflect the gravity of the offense and its significant impact on public trust in democracy.

M, a co-suspect, received a 12-month sentence, with four months conditional, and a three-year probation period.

F, another co-suspect, was ordered to complete 180 hours of community service, with 90 hours conditional, along with a three-year probation period.

OM SXM believes the courts ruling sends a stern warning against attempts to undermine democracy in Sint Maarten Read more

Lac Bay, Sorobon Closed In Bonaire

Suspected saltwater crocodile.

KRALENDIJK--The area around Lac Baai and Sorobon in Bonaire was cordoned off on Wednesday due to the presence of an animal that has not yet been officially identified. Photos and videos show that it is most likely a saltwater crocodile of about five to six metres long.

Read more

Suspended Police Officer Gets 5-Years Sentence For Assault And Rape

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten The Court of First Instance has rendered its verdict in the case of suspended Sint Maarten Police Force officer R.J., sentencing him to five years in prison after finding him guilty of assault and rape of his stepdaughter. The verdict, delivered on Thursday, October 3, 2024, determined that the primary facts of the case were proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The testimonies of the victim, her mother, her sister, and school staff members who reported significant behavioral changes in the victim following the incident were crucial to the case Read more

Fraud Case Suspect Released With Conditions, Remains Suspect

Lisa Alexander

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – A woman, with initials L.L.A., arrested on September 16, 2024, in a fraud investigation has been released by the Court with conditions to which she must comply. L.L.A., released today, September 20, remains a suspect in the ongoing investigations.

The conditions imposed by the Court require the suspect to report to the probation service regularly, she must be reachable and available to police/justice authorities at all times in the interest of the investigation.

On September 16, 2024, at approximately 6:00am, the Sint Maarten Police Force KPSM, in collaboration with personnel from the Prosecutors Office and other law enforcement agencies, arrested L.L.A Read more

Grisha Weighs In On Viral Taxi Driver Video, Invites Visitors Back To The Island

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten The video of an incident involving a taxi driver (Taxi 53) and some visitors, which went viral on several media platforms on Monday, September 2, 2024 was immediately brought to my attention, said Grisha Heyliger-Marten, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT).

I instructed the relevant departments of my Ministry to investigate the matter thoroughly Read more

Pwas, Mlk Students To School On Tuesday,Lewis Hosts Motivation Session For Staff

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Honorable Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Lyndon Lewis announced on Thursday that students of the Prince Willem Alexander School (PWAS) and Martin Luther King School (MLK) will attend school at the Alma Fleming Care Center in Belvedere as of Tuesday, August 20. And, hopefully if all goes as planned, the MLK students (three classes) could even probably could at MLK campus.

The delay allows relevant authorities, school management and security providers to develop enhanced security arrangements following the recent break-ins at the schools Read more

Arrindell Released, Up Wants Reform Of ProsecutorS Office

 PHILIPSBURG--United Peoples (UP) Party Member of Parliament (MP) Akeem Arrindell was released from custody on Friday, one day after his arrest as part of an ongoing investigation into suspected vote-buying during the January 11 Parliamentary elections. The Daily Herald understands that he remains a suspect.

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Akeem Arrindell Arrested In Vote-Buying Investigation

PHILIPSBURG--United Peoples (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Akeem Arrindell was arrested on Thursday as part of an ongoing investigation into suspected vote-buying during the January 11, 2024, Parliamentary elections.

Read more

Open Letter To Our Honorable Minister Of Justice Mr. Lyndon C.J. Lewis

It is with great admiration that the people of Sint Maarten are experiencing the vigor which you put in your work for this country and it is therefore that we believe that you have the courage to take eventual unpopular decisions if needed.

For the last few years Sint Maarten has experienced some brutal murder cases, most of which remain unsolved and as an officer of the law yourself, this is a disturbing factor. One reason for this might be the shortage of staff to conduct a proper investigation and the tools available for such Read more

Minister Lewis Meets With School Bus Operators

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Minister of Justice, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport the Honorable Lyndon Lewis described his meeting with school bus operators on Sunday as very fruitful and one of the final steps towards finalizing a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the operators. The SLA is important to professionalize the school bus transport system up to improved and acceptable standards.

It also means the eventual realization of the school bus management system to streamline and optimize the management of the school transportation services Read more

Minister Jansen-Webster Calls For Adherence To International Labor Standards

Philipsburg The Honorable Minister of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor (VSA), Mrs. Veronica Jansen-Webster, has issued a compelling call to action, urging all employers in St. Maarten to fully recognize and uphold the rights stipulated in the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 87. Known as the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, this critical international standard guarantees workers the right to form and join organizations of their choosing without fear of retaliation or punishment. Convention 87 is a cornerstone of international labor law, ratified by numerous countries, including St Read more

Mind-Boggling !!!

Dear Editor,

The article dated May 15th, 2024 from Saint Martin News Network titled Acting head of Landsrecherche removed from position pending investigation is mindboggling to say the least. That the position officially does not exist and that Ms. Lucy Gachette did not suffer any losses in terms of benefits or salaries, is one thing. But the mere fact that the Minister of Justice stated that there will be an in-depth investigation into matters threatening the countrys security, is a matter of serious concern.

Although questions were posed to the Minister, he correctly declined to provide more information then that the information had been classified and that those who needed to know, were officially notified Read more

Ex-Cbcs President In Court On Charges Of Fraud, Money-Laundering And Bribery

Emsley Tromp

 ~ Lengthy prison sentence sought ~

WILLEMSTAD/PHILIPSBURG--In a court appearance in Curaao on Tuesday, Emsley Tromp, former President of the Central Bank of Curaao and St. Maarten (CBCS), defended himself against allegations of fraud stemming from his involvement in the Curaao Fashion Group (CFG). Tromp emphasised that he has meticulously maintained a separation between his roles, establishing what he described as Chinese walls to ensure ethical integrity.

Tromp is a suspect in the Hercules case Read more

Say One, Say Two, Say The Thing

Dear Editor,

The editorial in the Daily Herald newspaper of Friday, May 10th, 2024 titled Bad apples regarding what the editor considers a major decision of the new Minister of Justice, Lyndon Lewis (NOW) whereas he announced his decisive action to correct justice workers suspensions. In so doing the new Minister of Justice intends to alleviate staff shortages and ensure fair labor practices Read more

Justice Minister Lewis Sends Justice Workers Back To Work

Minister of Justice Lyndon Lewis.

 

PHILIPSBURG--To address pressing issues within Sint Maartens justice system, Minister of Justice Lyndon Lewis has undertaken steps to rectify employee suspensions and combat staff shortages Read more

Counterfeit Naf. 100 Banknotes In Circulation

PHILIPSBURG WILLEMSTAD The Centrale Bank van Curaao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) has detected counterfeit NAf. 100 banknotes in circulation. The counterfeit NAf. 100 banknotes are of very good quality, making them challenging to distinguish from genuine NAf Read more

New Four-Party Coalition Ursm Dp Pfp Now Speaks Up And Speaks Out

Urges Public to Remain Aware and Be Critical of Agitators

PHILIPSBURG In a joint statement issued Thursday January 25, 2024 evening, the eight MP-elects of the announced 4-party coalition consisting of the URSM, DP, PFP and N.O.W. parties denounced repeated attempts to distract the public from ongoing political discussions.

We remain committed and focused on continuing the formation of this coalition, the statement reads Read more

Usp Leader Votes

United St. Maarten Party (US Party) leader Pamela Gordon-Carty and members of her family on election day.

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PHILIPSBURG:--- In the later part of 1989, Mr. Rudy Irion paid a visit to the home of Dr. Lloyd Richardson, to present a concept for a substance abuse rehabilitation program, which Mr. Irion had been challenged to create. The goal was to request that Dr. Richardson put together a board of directors and lead the charge of the rehabilitation program Read more

Usp: National Alliance Lacks The Vision, Empathy And Common Courtesy To Lead

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The board of the USP in an invited comment did not mince words as it relates to the placement of an ostentatious group billboard of the National Alliance party erected blocking the view of a USPs group billboard in Cole bay.

President of the board, Mr Read more

United St. Maarten Party Unveils Ambitious 2024-2028 Agenda For National Improvement

PUBLISHED: on DECEMBER 22, 2023 The Daily Herald Newspapers

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — United St. Maarten Party (USP) has laid out its comprehensive plan of action for the year 2024 and beyond. The party already initiated the execution of the outlined restructuring plan in 2022, emphasizing its commitment to ongoing refinement and formulation in the subsequent years. The strategic execution and implementation of these plans are set to span the entirety of the party’s presence, whether as a coalition partner or in the opposition.

USPs primary objective is a collective pursuit of comprehensive improvement in social, financial, economic and infrastructural restructuring for all residents Read more