St. Maarten Private Eye

Construction mess on Sint Maarten; Enterpreneurs from Brabant refuse to return favors to civil servants.

Sint Maarten is under the spell of a construction project whereby the Dutch investors are victims of gossip and half truths. After the Island Government reacted enthusiastically on the plan to develop 170 homes, the environmental groups spoke out. The site supposed to be a cultural and historical treasure. After previous scandals about corruption and the role of the Sicilian Mafia, it is now said that the Dutch have to pay ,,because they refuse to pay bribes”.

PHILISPBURG, Saturday – Sint Maarten, the Friendly Island is being filled up with construction. For example Dawn Beach that until recently was very idyllic with its view on St. Barths. Now Westin arises, a hotel that can not be matched on ugliness anywhere in the Caribbean. The coral reef is severely damaged; polluted water is being pumped into the ocean. But here, on the tropical Windward Islands, nobody cares much about the consequences for the environment.

Fifteen kilometers away the project Emilio Wilson Estate (EWE) is situated. A parcel of land adjacent to the park with the same name. Investors from Barbant, headed by Rien Chabot and Frans Mauriks, have plans to develop the land in order to construct 170 homes. Until now they invested 500.000 dollars in start up expenses for the project which costs 60 million dollars in total. But where Sint Maarten turned into one big construction site lately, the Dutch may not start with the job. "We were approached in 2004 by Henri Brookson, a well known Sint Maartener”, says Chabot. He had the right to buy the Estate of Emilio Wilson, a landowner who in the mean time died, and offered us 43 hectare. Our idea was to make smaller lots to construct homes for locals. There is a great need for that on the Island. Mind you, only half of the land is intended for that. Everything above the 200 meter line remains as is!””

Brookson offered the land also to the Island Government but they did not react. The Government did however show enthusiasm for the plans, also in letters. And Chabot and his partners thus started investing. Then it went wrong. After a permit was applied for in September last year, the Island Government remained silent. According to friends and enemies, the silence was fueled by a witch hunt of three environmental groups on Sint Maarten. They claimed that the land was invested with remains of old slave homes. On websites and in local newspapers, the Dutch investors and school principal were fiercely opposed. The site St. Maarten private eye says that Henri Brookson has one goal: become a millionaire. The teacher, until recently, deputy minister plenipotentiary for the Antilles in Holland is out to enrich himself. For that reason he ignores the last will of Emilio Wilson, so the opponents say. But the last will does not mention that land can not be parceled out.

Lawyers Rik Bergman and Mauritsz de Kort represent the Dutch investors in Sint Maarten. In Philipsburg they tell me: ,,Something strange is going on, the environmental groups act arbitrary. It is certain that our clients act in good faith. Lt. Governor Richards and commissioner of public works Marlin support the development plans. Until those activist started to speak out. In the beginning of next year, there are elections. Decision are being made about status apart. Nobody wants to touch this issue anymore”

Silence on the part of Government does not solve the problems, Bergman says. "Within short, the court will look at the decision of the Island Government to refuse the permit. Whether we win this procedure or not, it is certain that a damage claim will be filed if the EWE project can not be realized. Then all Sint Maarteners have to pay for the failure of government and I speak about millions of dollars””.

It appears that the local government changed opion after an anti Dutch crusade was launched. It is being said that the Government wanted to make a gesture towards the opponents of more construction on the Island. And then it is easier to get to a small group of Dutch, who still represent the colonial powers according to some, than powerful project developpers from the US. They can do what they want as evidenced by the concrete colossuses that pop up everywhere.

Driving power behind the environmental groups is Jadira Veen, spouse of Jeroen Veen, the lawyer who litigates against the Emilio Wilson Estate. The blonde Antillean –according to rumors, the femme fatale of the Island – says she has honest motives.

When we have a meeting with her on the terrace of Holland House on Frontstreet in Philipsburg, she shows up with Andre Patrick who is in charge of the Kadster office. The latter, according to assertions, has forced the then 90 year old Emilio Wilson to give a piece of his land for the Historical Park that is situated adjacent to the future Estate, in honor to the slaves that used to live there. Lease: 1 dollar per year for a period of 30 years with an extension of another 30 years.

Environmental activist Jadira Veen: "This is not a small village vendetta. I am truly concerned about the future which is the reason why this mega plan may not be executed. On this Island, we do not deny our slave history as you do in Holland”.

Jadira denies that she is fueling the witch hunt on the private eye website, against school Principal Henri Brookson; the man who knew how to sell 43 hectares of land to the investors of Brabant. "But everything about that man on the on the web is correct “, according to Jadira. "I even believe in the honesty of Rien Chabot and Frans Mauriks. They are just the victim of the sweet talk of mister Brookson. This figure made a deal while he was deputy minister plenipotentiary and thus he conducted business wearing the wrong hat. He was politician, teacher and developer”

Henry Brookson informs through a letter he recently published:” The public is being misled with false or incomplete information. That certainly applies to Mister Patrick of the kadaster. He was one of the first who knew about the plans for the EWE project. And why are they silent about locations on the Island that are historically really important like Bishop Estate, Belvedere and Bethlehem..”

According to 41 year old Jadira Veen, she is also against other construction projects but for instance the Westin Hotel on Dawn Beach could not be stopped. She denies rendering services to the opposition parties on Sint Maarten who use the affair to win the coming elections.

Juicy detail: four hours after our meeting, Andre Patrick with a conspirator's look in the eyes, brings us an envelope with “damaging material” on Henri Brookson stamped by the kadaster. The documents is supposed to show the teacher’s hunger for money but it is nothing more that an agreement with the Dutch investors. According to third parties, nothing is wrong with it.

It is expected that the judges in Philipsburg will soon look at the decision making process on the Emilio Wilson Estate. The documents in which the Government shows to be positive about the project can have crucial importance. There is a story that a high civil servant played a dubious role. He asked the Dutch investors for hundreds of parking lots at EWE against optimal cooperation. When the Dutch refused, hell broke loose.

Alain Deleu, representing Emilio Wilson Estate NV en working at the faculty Business Administration at the University of Sint Maarten: "The Island Government even flew in an archeologist form Curacao. The man wrote a 78 page report after weeks of research. The land is invaluable because of bones and an old beer bottle, is his conclusion. His report was torn to pieces by independent archeologists…”

Sint Maarten has a long tradition of scandals and bribes. Well known was the affair in 1993 when it appeared that millions of dollars designated to pay the extension of the airport disappeared. Members of the Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian Mafia, that landed here, took the money.

Rien Chabot and his co-investors have support form Paul Comenencia, Minister plenipotentiary for the Netherlands Antilles in The Hague. Investors from our own kingdom should be treated with respect, according to Comenencia. These people can not even get into contact with the Island Government! Incomprehensible and very bad for other Dutchmen who would like to develop projects on Sint Maarten. I know Rien Chabot and his partners for fifteen years. They are of good reputation and have done a fantastic job on Curacao”.

Willibrord van Beek, chairman of the permanent second chamber committee for the Antilles: "Sint Maarten can make their own decisions but so much is certain that this affair has to be solved. Right or left. I will investigate what the situation is “.

Rien Chabot about what is now called 'the EWE scandal’:
"We are prepared to save any area if it is of cultural and historical value. We are not going to construct on the entire 43 hectares! If only we could have a conversation with the Island Government and the environmental groups, we could find a solution. But even that is being denied to us."