EXCLUSIVE: Governor to initiate investigation in the Smith Orloff & Associates contract.

February 10, 2019

~Smith Orloff & Associates contracted Geotec Development N.V. as their adjuster to work with NAGICO Insurances, Henderson court case February 19th.~

PHILIPSBURG: — Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin will now have to answer questions that she probably did not anticipate as it relates to the contract her government gave to Smith Orloff & Associates when they dismissed Henderson International and mislead the Governor of St. Maarten with the submittal of a National Decree without acknowledging the first National Decree that was prepared by the outgoing William Marlin Cabinet to award the contract to Henderson International.
SMN News was reliably informed that the Governor of St. Maarten allegedly indicated that he will be initiating an investigation into the procedure of the contract awarded to Smith Orloff and Associates since Henderson International already filed a court case against the Romeo Marlin Cabinet for annulling the contract that was awarded shortly after the passing of hurricane IRMA and MARIA. The case against the government of St. Maarten will be heard on February 19th, 2019.
More questionable is the fact that Smith Orloff & Associates an International company as an adjuster just recently hired another local company to work on their behalf. That company SMN News learned is Geotec Development N.V. registered at the Chamber of Commerce no. 15559 established and holding office in St. Maarten. Geotec Development has on their website that they are specialized in Architecture, Design Interior and Exterior, 3D, Conceptual Renderings, Construction, Contracting, Marketing, Web Design, and Consulting. Nowhere on the company’s website, it states that they have any knowledge or provide services as an Insurance Public Adjuster. The company has been working as sub-contractor for GEBE as the Managing Director Roberto Carchidi an Italian national was a consultant for of GEBE.
Upon further research by SMN News, it is further noted that Smith Orloff & Associates in their offer that was fraudulently addressed to Minister Emil Lee never indicated that they will be hiring Geotec Development N.V as their adjuster who is not specialized in Public claims. One would wonder how this slipped through as a standard condition for Government contracts dictates that the subcontractors must be mentioned in the offer and requires prior approval from Government. The question that now arises is if Government turned a blind eye to facilitate this contract. SMN News was also informed that a bid offer was never requested from Smith Orloff & Associates during the bidding procedure as this offer was brought forward by Minister Lee through the back door.
It should be further noted that the Romeo Marlin Government did not follow the correct procedures when they annulled the contract awarded to Henderson International and awarded to Smith Orloff & Associates an international company that has connections to Minister Emil Lee.
While the Government of St. Maarten informed NAGICO Insurances that Smith Orloff & Associates is the independent adjuster that will be working on behalf of government. Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin who is responsible for General Affairs did not conduct second bidding, neither did she get advice on the company she chose to hire because her colleague Minister Emil Lee suggested that Government engage the foreign company. The Prime Minister went ahead and submitted another National Decree to the Governor for signature while due diligence on the hiring was not done.
SMN News broke the story about the hiring of Smith Orloff & Associates but to date, Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin and her team did not provide adequate information on the shady hiring of Smith Orloff & Associates which has a semblance of corruption as proper bidding procedures were not followed.
NAGICO Insurances paid close to $6M to the Government of St. Maarten there are still a number of public buildings including schools that are not yet being repaired. The lack of action from the Government of St. Maarten led to the closure of the Philipsburg Jubilee Library while Government held on to the Insurance payout.
Further research revealed that the Romeo Marlin instructed the Secretary-General Hensley Plantijn to prepare an advice to annul the contract with Henderson International and to award the contract to Smith Orloff & Associates, now that a court case is forthcoming allegedly Plantijn is being blamed by Romeo Marlin for advising the COM wrongfully and he should be held responsible for this entire ordeal and contract awarding to Smith Orloff & Associates. Plantijn who is a Lawyer by profession is of a different opinion and if anything he will have no option than to defend his name and profession by taking legal actions against Government because the bullying and continuous disrespectful behavior displayed by PM Romeo Marlin not only towards him but senior Civil Servants as well that are being victimized by Romeo Marlin. Based on the current trend it appears that there will be more court cases and investigations into the shady contract that was awarded to Smith Orloff and Associates, a brainchild orchestrated by Minister Emil Lee.

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