Suspended VROM Head
takes Island Govt to Court
PHILIPSBURG--Head of Environmental Planning and Policy Department VROM Delano Richardson, who was suspended on September 4 in connection with matters pertaining to the Indigo Bay project, has petitioned the Court to have his suspension lifted.
The court dealt with this issue behind closed doors on Wednesday afternoon, but Richardson’s attorney Maarten le Poole informed The Daily Herald that his client had requested the Court to annul his suspension. The Court’s answer is not yet known.
The Executive Council had suspended Richardson for reportedly giving the developers of Indigo Bay a go-ahead letter that enabled them to carry out work on the 148-acre property without a revised planning permit.
Richardson was suspended pending an investigation into this matter. Members of the Executive Council have declined to give details about Richardson’s suspension, saying they did not discuss in public matters pertaining to government personnel.
The Executive Council’s legal advisor in this matter, attorney-at-law Amador Muller, also declined to comment on this case.
Richardson contended that he was not acting on his own in sending the memorandum to the developer and stated that his acts had been fully covered by his superiors.
“My client’s superiors not only knew of the memorandum; it was made on their instigation to give the developers their trust,” Le Poole said. Richardson even sent a copy of the memorandum to Sector Director Joseph Dollison, said Le Poole, “but seeing the atmosphere around this case he will probably deny this.”
Le Poole said his client was being made the scapegoat in a game played within Sector ROB and probably also in the Executive Council.
“If it is true that work was done in this project that was not allowed, then almost all the political and governmental top officials of this island are accomplices. The former commissioner (Roy Marlin, ed.) comes first. He was seen in early July breaking ground with the developer with a broad smile on his face. What was this commissioner doing there when the permits were not in order?” Le Poole said.
Commissioner Marlin had said there wasn’t a problem, because the company was awaiting the approved version of the permit, which had been signed by the Executive Council on May 29, but had never been ratified by Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards.
Le Poole said it was common knowledge in St. Maarten that developers of large construction projects were not obligated to wait for the formalisation of granted planning permits to start preparatory work. “For months, any passer-by was able to see what was going on that location,” said Le Poole. He said it was unfair to hold Richardson fully responsible for the developers’ response to the memorandum.
Le Poole argued that his client’s suspension within eight months of his being on the job was unfair, unjust and too drastic.
