Kingdom Council of Ministers handles police treaty at month end

March 20, 2012 11:31 AM

St. Maarten – Justice Minister Roland Duncan has been notified that the Kingdom Council of Ministers will handle a treaty on police cooperation between French and Dutch St. Maarten by the end of the month.

The treaty is seen as a concrete tool that the police force of St. Maarten and the Gendarmes can use to jointly fight crime in the territory jointly held by the Netherlands and France.

The French state apparently had issues with some elements of the treaty. Those concerns have now been addressed and Duncan anticipates that the Kingdom Council of Ministers will approve the treaty in its meeting on March 30 so it can be sent to the legislature for approval.

The announcement of the handling comes at a time when Duncan continues to reach out to multiple partners in the Kingdom, the Caribbean and internationally to ensure that the young country can continue to fight especially organized and cross border crime. One such partner is the United States. In a meeting earlier this week Duncan requested U.S. Vice Consul Valerie ask the United States government be patient with the country on money laundering and drug trafficking as work continues to build the security forces and their capacity. As part of his request Duncan pointed out that the government will seek to expand the law on unusual financial transactions so that more money transaction offices are listed, that they are installing a committee on money laundering and terrorism financing and that they are working to build up the prosecutor’s office so it responds quicker on treaty requests around drug cases.

“We’re now getting used to being on our own and we need to structure these things. We’re getting there and one thing I can tell you is that the Antilles used to be a lot slower. I am asking that the U.S. bear with us and help us,” Duncan said recently.

The Justice Minister is also willing to work with his colleagues in the Kingdom but says he will reject “anything that looks like the Netherlands Antilles.” A particularly sore point in this regard is an ICT system that the countries will share. Some have indicated that the problem is that all the servers will be in Curacao, but Duncan says that’s the least of his worries.
“It doesn’t matter to me where the servers are. It’s about the software and the information and who has access. For example why would my country’s tourist information be in the hands of someone on Curacao. I want that here in St. Maarten. I am willing to share police information, but nothing else,” Duncan said.

The way St. Maarten cooperates with its Kingdom partners on a justice issues is a matter of concern for Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Liesbeth Spies but Duncan said she needs to understand he will only go along if the Dutch government is will to listen.
“I’m willing to talk and keep talking because we’re not going to do a bad deal. But it appears that I need to do like long ago with marbles. When you feel like you’re not being treated fairly and no one is hearing you, then you pick up your marbles and stop playing and then you get attention. ,” Duncan said.

Part of the continuation of discussions will be a meeting with Dutch Justice and Security Minister Ivo Opstelten in Aruba .

(Source: Today Sint Maarten)

19 March 2012