National Alliance: Roy Marlin
must resign as GEBE chairman
– Roy questions William’s
authority –
PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) leader William Marlin called on Monday for the resignation of Commissioner Roy Marlin as chairman of the supervisory board of directors of utility company NV GEBE.
Contending that UNESCO-IHE in its draft report had reportedly advised the Executive Council to award the integrated water management and sewage project to GEBE instead of to Dutch firm Intaquin, Marlin said the Commissioner should do the “honourable thing,” and resign.
However, responding to the NA leader’s call, Roy Marlin questioned his authority for making such a demand.
“I can’t remember William Marlin wearing a T-shirt during election time saying, ‘Vote for Roy Marlin’ or ‘Vote for the DP.’ The leadership of the DP has put me in that position and if that leadership wants me out then I will do so,” the commissioner told The Daily Herald last night.
He continued: “Where does William Marlin think he derives the authority from to call for my resignation as chairman? Up till now, according to me, he is still the leader of the opposition.”
The Executive Council received the draft report of UNESCO-IHE last week and William Marlin compared the results of the UNESCO-IHE evaluation to a “10-round boxing match.” “This would translate to eight rounds for GEBE, one for Intaquin and one even,” he said. “If it is true that the report heavily favours GEBE, the Commissioner shouldn’t wait until pressure is put on him, but do the honourable thing and resign,” he said.
According to the NA leader, the Commissioner’s position on the board has been posing a “blatant conflict of interest” because Commissioner Marlin has always “heavily favoured” Intaquin, the Dutch company with which government signed a letter of intent (LOI) a few years ago to execute the same integrated water management and sewage project.
“How would he have to supervise the execution of a project that he has not favoured? If the project is granted to GEBE he would not be the man to pull this project as chairman,” said William Marlin.
The Commissioner’s position in the Executive Council would also be a “conflict of interest.” William Marlin mentioned the LOI which has the island territory “battling in Court with a ruling next Tuesday.” “He would be making a decision in the Executive Council to supervise the execution. In fact, he should even be giving up the responsibility of the GEBE portfolio,” he said.
The NA leader said he would be asking Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards, on whose request the report was drawn up, for a copy of the report. “We have not, as members of the Island Council, received the draft report, but judging from the way this Executive Council operates we won’t get it anytime soon. Our only hope is that we will receive it through the Lt. Governor,” he stated.
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