PHILIPSBURG--Former Finance Minister Roland Tuitt will be taking government to court for illegally "taking away" NAf. 60,000 from him "and booking it off to amounts that I do not owe and are written off." In a press release on Sunday Tuitt also lashed back at statements made by incumbent Minister Martin Hassink, who had requested that Tuitt apologise publicly for "attacking" a civil servant in the press.

 

"After serving this country in various capacities, the only compensation I can get is a civil servant taking NAf. 60,000 from me without any legal basis," Tuitt said. "I hope that when you, the Minister of Finance [Martin Hassink – Ed.], leave office you are accorded the same treatment.

 

"I will be going to court in the next few weeks. However, what about all those who cannot afford to seek justice? It is because of inaction by Ministers that civil servants build up their domain and become powerful kingdoms. The service to the community cannot be enhanced by these actions – an institution taking away people's hard-earned money without any legal basis."

 

Regarding Hassink's call for him to apologise, Tuitt said it was "a shame that our Minister of Finance does not command the English language. The word disgruntled means ill-humoured or discontented or, in simple English, not happy. You only made yourself a laughingstock in asking me to apologise for a simple English word.

 

"Furthermore, it is worrisome that everything in St. Maarten has to be thrown in the political arena. Presently, I am not on any political list, so let us keep this in the professional arena."

 

Tuitt said he had met with Hassink in November 2013 and explained what had been occurring as it related to the collection of old taxes. "You stated that you will look into the matter. To date you have not communicated any results," Tuitt said.

 

"On a weekly basis, citizens of country St. Maarten contact me and relay to me the injustice that is taking place. I can empathise with them because I am also a victim of the process. After serving this country as a Commissioner [Member of Parliament – Ed.] and Minister, the only recompense that I get is a civil servant taking away NAf. 60,000 and booking it off to amounts that I do not owe and are written off."

 

Tuitt said some of his clients had shown him amounts owed to them by government for delivered products than were "unlawfully taken and applied to written off taxes that they do not owe." He also alluded to a client who "does not have any employees" and while he informed the Tax Office of this via letter, "the Receiver [Sherry Hazel – Ed.] is trying to collect NAf. 3,500,000. I can relay many more examples and stories."

 

"Presently the Receiver is trying to collect those amounts and putting liens on individuals and businesses for amounts that are written off and should not be collected. As the examples above portray, many of the old amounts are not correct. Thus, if the Receiver is collecting amounts that are not correct and written off, they are doing that unlawfully. I will let the Minister of Finance fill in the English word for this."

 

Tuitt said soon many businesses would not do any business with Government, because the monies they were supposed to collect for goods and services would be applied to old written off amounts that were 90 per cent incorrect.

 

(The Daily Herald)