Corporate Innovations no part
in Digicel issue, says Meyers
St. Maarten--Commissioner of Telecommunications Franklin Meyers during Wednesday’s Island Council meeting refuted allegations that he or his partner Brenda Wathey was involved in an alleged deal to get Digicel a licence to operate here.
“I’m not into dealing or stealing and I didn’t get into politics to get rich,” said Meyers, explaining that the company of which Wathey was managing director, Corporate Innovations, had already ceased to exist some three years ago.
He was responding to an article in The Daily Herald of August 18 and a subsequent reaction from People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) leader Councilwoman Gracita Arrindell, who accused members of the Executive Council of dealing, stealing and taking decisions in favour of friends, family and a few designated others.
Meyers acknowledged that Corporate Innovations and international carrier Smitcoms had signed an agreement in February 2003, but said it never had been executed. The client has never been billed. Corporate Innovations went “belly up” the same year, before it could deliver on any obligations to Smitcoms, he said.
He explained that Corporate Innovations previously had done business with UTS, but had gone to Smitcoms because of better rates. Corporate Innovations provided international telecommunications service through phone cards that were sold. Meyers said the company paid had paid more than NAf. 25,000 in licence fees. “So there was no hanky-panky,” he said.
The director was not Wathey, as stated in the newspaper article, but Etienne “Tochi” Meyers. Patrick Illidge, a candidate on the People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) slate in the last elections, was a shareholder in this company. As for himself, Meyers said he had served with “nothing but integrity” for the past seven years.
Meyers provided to the Island Council a list containing an overview of more than 300 companies that have similar agreements with Smitcoms. He said it concerned private information from Smitcoms and he implored members of the Island Council not to forward the information to Smitcoms’ competitor UTS.
He explained that Smitcoms, based on its articles of incorporation, was obliged to provide telecommunication services, lease lines, to companies that request them based on the liberalisation of the telecommunication market. He also made available to the Council a copy of Smitcoms’ articles of incorporation.
Smitcoms articles of incorporation include the possibility of agreements with other telecommunications companies, sub-companies and service providers, as well as setting up joint ventures and participation in companies.
Meyers explained that Smitcoms’ international concession stated that it was only allowed to enter into agreements with operators whose countries of destination or of origin were officially authorised for international communications.
Referring to the newspaper article, Meyers said it was important to him to clear his name when he and/or his family was “coloured bad.” He said he hoped his providing all documents to the Island Council would end the discussion and rumours. “I hope the information is sufficient,” he said.
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