EMMANUEL: Ansary stole from Ennia, not the people of St. Maarten

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Member of Parliament (MP) Christophe Emmanuel

 

~ Chides Ministers for infantile public behaviour ~

Independent MP and leader of the NOW party Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday said he is in disbelief over the behavior of the government of St. Maarten while the Dutch government tries to impose a loan on the people of St. Maarten to cover the criminal actions of Husang Ansary and his co-conspirators. “What is the priority of the government? It is unbelievable the infantile behavior we are witnessing from Ministers while the house is burning around us,” MP Emmanuel said.  

The MP said while the Prime Minister is gansta-rapping on social media and the Minister of Finance is making paper-plane videos in a fishing hat, the Dutch is forcing St. Maarten to accept part of a 600 million euro loan to save Ennia and avoid the reported fall-out if said loan is not accepted. If St. Maarten and Curacao does not accept, extension of the period to pay-back COVID-related liquidity loans will not be assured.  “More classic Dutch blackmailing of these countries,” MP Emmanuel said tersely.

It is unconscionable, the MP said, that any government and any Member of Parliament, would sit back and agree to such a loan. St. Maarten’s portion of that loan, he explained, will be approximately 144 million with a reported 3.2% interest. Which means that St. Maarten will be paying almost 20 million a year for the next 10 years, “further hampering our development and ability to budget for our people,” MP Emmanuel said.

“Ansary was condemned in a court of law for US $1.2 billion. He and his conspirators fleeced Ennia and walked away like thieves in the night with billions. They are walking around right now living high off the hog and nobody is touching them,” MP Emmanuel said. “Here comes the Dutch government basically saying that Ansary and his ilk are untouchable and the people of St. Maarten have to pay to rescues Ennia.

“The people of St. Maarten did not embezzle from Ennia. We know who embezzled from Ennia. They have already had their day in court. Go after them. All of a sudden there is no capacity at the prosecutor’s office to go after proven criminals? But they can send ten people, including two judges, to my home for issues that I have already been cleared for. And you want to tell me this isn’t class justice on a whole other level?” MP Emmanuel stressed.

He further pointed out that even the CFT have advised the Dutch that burdening St. Maarten with yet another loan is not advisable and not desirable.  “But there is nothing from the government of St. Maarten. The Ministers on St. Maarten prefer to not engage with our people and educate them about what the Dutch is expecting the local government to do,” the MP said.

“Ennia has been brewing for years, since 2014. At the time the Dutch government refused to get involved and blatantly reminded the world that the Dutch Caribbean consists of autonomous countries who should figure it out on their own. So if we were autonomous then, why are we not autonomous now? Why is the Dutch so hell-bent on keeping us in debt? Why can’t they say here is some real help? And why is the government of St. Maarten not standing firm against more stress and suffering upon its people?” MP Emmanuel questioned.

He said that if the government of St. Maarten once again gives into more conditions, he hopes that the Parliament of St. Maarten will stand as one and reject it. “Though I can hold my breath and I can wish, it will be a telling day in Parliament when the votes come down to see which MP’s actually have the nerve to vote in the affirmative and. By extension, vote against our people,” MP Emmanuel concluded.