~ Man of Integrity and Transparency fleeced government to keep his hotel open ~
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of VSA Emil Lee who refused to take responsibility for not providing assistance to the people of St. Maarten after the passing of hurricane Irma has to explain the people of St. Maarten how it was possible for him to take off the MR.4 license plate from government vehicle and place it on his private pick-up truck that he used along with government bonds to purchase diesel at the Bush Road Gas station on September 12th, 2017.
Minister Lee was caught at the gas station where he filled two large drums almost every day with government bonds and he took the much-needed fuel to his Princess Heights hotel to run his generator.
Diesel was supposed to be used for government operations and for the vehicles that were busy providing emergency operations as well as cleaning up the debris left behind by Irma.
SMN News managed to secure photographs with the Minister in his pick-up truck that had a large black drum that was filled twice the morning of September 12th, 2017.
Persons who witnessed the Minister use government bonds for the purchase of the diesel once confronted the Minister since they believe that the Minister was abusing government while the country was devastated by hurricane Irma.
Several Ministers and other civil servants openly stated that Minister Lee did not even check in on the civil servants that work in his Ministry and had the responsibility to provide social assistance and aid. However, Minister Lee in several press releases denied all that was said and cast the blame on others. Minister Lee even went as far as calling on the SOAB to investigate the distribution of relief which is currently underway. Hopefully, he told the investigators from SOAB that he was busy using government bonds to secure much-needed fuel for his hotel operations. Minister Emil Lee is the Minister who boasted about his belief in transparency and integrity, yet he is the Minister that seemingly has more skeletons in his closet that no one is questioning.
The Public Prosecutors Office went after the persons that looted almost every business place on St. Maarten but they failed to check on the Ministers and civil servants that took advantage of their position in government to take care of their friends, families, and business after Irma struck St. Maarten.
Over 90% of all buildings on St. Maarten suffered damages while looters destroyed the country’s economy which has paralyzed the country to this day. Scores of people are roofless and jobless yet they are not able to receive basic assistance from the Department of Social Affairs, a department that falls under Minister Emil Lee.
Since the passing of hurricane Irma the people of St. Maarten have to sit back and watch politicians with their blame game over who is responsible for what yet those that are really responsible for not living up to their responsibilities managed to escape freely.
Hopefully, now that the photographs with Minister Emil Lee in his private pick-up truck bearing government license plate are published the Parliament of St. Maarten will call the Minister to Parliament for him to give full accountability for his actions.
Editors Note: Minister Lee is saying his bonds are accounted for but nowhere in his statement did he show what he used to pay for the diesel on September 12th, 2017 at 9:40 am. The Minister went on to say that the Prime Minister consented for him to switch government number plates on his private truck because of controls, the Minister is in full possession of his identification card as a Minister as well as his Hurricane passes which he could have used. The Minister should have used better judgment when changing the number plates. This is a matter of integrity which the Dutch Government must question.
http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/27740-exclusive-minister-of-vsa-caught-using-government-bonds-to-purchase-drums-of-diesel-for-princess-heights-updated.html
