St. Maarten Private Eye

The presumption of innocence. Easily misunderstood and misused.

The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of the Council of Europe says (art. 6.2): "Everyone charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law". This convention has been adopted by treaty and is also binding in Saint Maarten.
Many judges in the court of public opinion apply the rule when friends are involved. We heard it a good bit when Marcel Loor, Derrick Holiday and Churchill Marsdin were arrested. It was inhumane and unjust to lock them up, according to some. What happened to the presumption of innocence, asked others. When the animals that attacked Ryan Smith and Tom Jefferson were arrested, nobody asked a thing.
Why is that?

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The Dominican Consul

I am bothered with the consul for the Dominican Republic on Sint Maarten (or so she claims to be) Dora Elsa Vasquez – Martinez. Let me explain why.

Some 165 countries are parties to the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR), which codifies the rights, privileges and functions of consular missions and their personnel under international law. A core consular function is to provide assistance to nationals in distress while abroad. According to the Convention (article 55), consular officers have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Receiving State.

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A Saint Maarten Belonger

Much discussion lately about who is a true Saint Maartener, a national an outsider and so forth. Those questions are difficult to answer reason why I am very much in favor of introducing a Belonger status under our new constitution. It stops all the endless discussions as to who is what.

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Merx Works as Attorney despite Being Banned

From the website of SMN-News:

"Philipsburg:- Former and convicted Chief Prosecutor Cor Merx recently sent out a letter to a local woman requesting that the she or her family transfer a parcel of land to his client whom he claimed worked for the woman father in exchange for the land. The woman Cheryl Peterson went to Nation Talk President Leopold James desperately seeking advice as to how she should deal with the matter.

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Transparency of Government and the Belvedere Land Lotto

Yesterday May 16, the deadline to get financing for the Belvedere land week-end give away, elapsed. Lots can now be allotted to other people on the waiting list if financing is not in order, according to an article in TDH of April 17, 2007.

Our local media reported the whole event in their usual style of jubilance when they are being fed state propaganda. But when the drama started smelling so bad that even Roy thought it was wise to apologize for his stench, the whole matter was swiftly swept under the carpet. Silence galore.
The Sint Maarten media conveniently forgets that they have rights to ask questions. Does the transparency of government act 1996 ring a bell?
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The Tower of Babel

Driving home from work I treated myself to the scenic lowlands route. Passing the Rainbow construction site I wondered how high this thing is gonna be. The Rainbow website has been shut down for a while now but I can clearly recall having seen artist impressions detailing about 5 floors somewhere. I counted 8 today and it is clear that more will be added. How many? Is there anybody that knows? And then the legend of the Tower of Babel crossed my mind.
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