PHILIPSBURG--"Malicious" and "character assassination" were how former National Alliance (NA) Tourism Commissioner, now Member of Parliament (MP) Frans Richardson described the inclusion of his name in a possible embezzlement complaint related to St. Maarten Tourist Bureau filed by dismissed Head of Finance Bastiaan "Bas" Roorda.
Speaking on The Lloyd Richardson Show on the Voice of St. Maarten on Monday morning, after it had been confirmed by Justice Minister Roland Duncan that his name was among seven others in the complaint, Richardson said he had never been informed or called by Roorda about the matter, nor was he aware of any details surrounding the complaint.
He wants to have his name cleared as soon as possible and asked anyone with information to come forward and share it.
"It is crazy. It is ludicrous that I would embezzle. What is there for me to embezzle? If it is that because I am travelling, I am embezzling travel allowance or per diem. Is that embezzlement?" Richardson asked. "If there was something wrong, come and tell the commissioner; come and tell the individuals involved that this and this happened and can you please explain what took place?"
He said he believed it could have stemmed from matters tied to the Tourist Bureau and its office in New York that started late last year, because he had spoken out against the investigation at the time.
That investigation, also started by Roorda, had already led to the suspension of two senior bureau staffers. They later returned to work, because of a lack of evidence.
"I had said that it was malicious what they are doing, because no real evidence had come out to back what they were doing. I guess now, because I came out at that time, maliciously they want to involve me," Richardson said on Monday.
"What embezzlement could I have done where money is concerned? As commissioner you don't deal with money. The only thing I do is file for trips to go to represent St. Maarten [...] I ask myself if that's embezzlement ? when you travel."
Commissioners ? now ministers ? are provided with a per diem allowance when they travel for work. The MP explained that sometimes trips were cut short because of pressing matters at home and if the embezzlement claims stemmed from the trip being cut short and the matter of the remaining per diem, it should have been discussed with the people involved, instead of the way the matter is being handled now.
"I don't know [whether-Ed.] if I come back one day early or leave one day late, that is embezzlement. Clarity needs to be given, because character assassination is what is being done here."
Richardson said what Roorda had done to people's reputation was damaging and yet he had not been able to provide proof. He added that his name was possibly "lumped in" with the complaint to "sweeten the pot" for the Dutch government to come in, because there is corruption in government.
Roorda filed the complaint over a week ago with the Prosecutor's Office and the fact-finding investigation is still ongoing. He was asked by the Council of Ministers to explain the scope of his claims, such as the amount and when the civil servants involved were given a say on the matter, as required by the law on civil servants, on March 31.
Justice Minister Roland Duncan told The Daily Herald that no answer had been given to the enquiries of the ministers. Duncan also confirmed that the termination of Roorda's services by government had nothing to do with his filing the complaint. Insubordination was stated as the reason.
Commenting on Roorda's background, Richardson said, "Then you ask yourself if he really, truly came here to really work on behalf of St. Maarten or he basically came here to destroy the name of St. Maarten."
Roorda was hired as Head of Finance under the NA-led Island Government in December 2009. It was known at the time he was hired that he was the VVD faction leader in Valkenswaard, the Netherlands.
"I think we made a bad judgement in hiring an individual like this, because what has he produced? What has he done, but create more issues for St. Maarten to be getting a bad name at the end of the day?"
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