MP Meyers says he cannot agree with or defend suspect deportation in fatal scooter accident

GREAT BAY--Leader of the SAM party and Member of Parliament Franklin Meyers on Wednesday stated unequivocally that he does not agree with, and cannot defend, the decision to deport a suspect who was involved in a traffic accident that resulted in the death of a young scooter rider. Like many people, Meyers said the insensitive nature of the decision, does not sit right with him considering he has seen the prosecutor's office prosecute with less.

He also stressed that it is important for the public to understand that, the Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling will explain the matter from the Ministry's position. He added that while the SAM party holds political responsibility for the Ministry of Justice, he will not defend the handling of this matter.

Residents have questioned what the decision means for justice, fairness, public confidence, and the message it sends to the community and the world about St. Maarten.  Meyers said he understood the public concern and shared the discomfort many people felt after seeing the suspect leave St. Maarten. “When I saw the suspect boarding the plane as well, the same feeling that they feel, I felt,” Meyers said.

Meyers said the family involved is a law-abiding St. Maarten family, and he questioned how the public is expected to reconcile the loss of life with the suspect’s deportation before the matter is fully resolved in the public eye. “You’re talking a local St. Maarten family that typically doesn’t be in trouble with the law or anything like that, a law-abiding, good St. Maarten family, lost their loved one,” Meyers said, adding that in fact any family that suffers such a tragic incident should expect the law to do its part if there were actions involved that could be considered criminal such as reckless conduct, driving under the influence and leaving the scene.

He said that while he understands that St. Maarten’s legal system does not operate like the United States and that Dutch-based law treats accidents differently, he believes there are circumstances in which traffic incidents can still lead to prosecution. "There are some instances in there that are prosecutable,” Meyers said.

He said he has seen previous cases in which persons involved in accidents were prosecuted and said this case has led him to question consistency in the justice system. “I’ve seen the prosecutor’s office prosecute people that have been in accidents before,” Meyers said. He also referred to a previous incident on Airport Road involving a Dutch cyclist, stating that the person involved in that case was prosecuted.

Meyers said the decision in the present matter raises questions in the community about equal treatment and whether similar cases are handled consistently. He said he does not want to speculate unfairly, but added that the situation has caused him to ask difficult questions about how the decision would have been viewed if the persons involved had different last names.

The SAM leader said the matter should not be dismissed or explained away without careful public accountability.  He said he is not claiming to know the full extent of the applicable law, but stressed that the public deserves clarity on why the decision was made, who made it, and how similar cases will be handled going forward.

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