Investigation underway into TEATT bus, taxi licensing irregularities

GREAT BAY--An investigation into the awarding of public transportation licenses through the Ministry of TEATT is underway by law enforcement. While not yet officially confirmed, it is understood that detectives and affiliated agencies have begun preliminary fact-finding into the process, which the Integrity Chamber recently criticized for serious integrity breaches.

It is understood that the focus is reportedly on former Minister of TEATT Arthur Lambriex and his cabinet staff. Lambriex was selected as the Minister of TEATT by two Independent Members of Parliament, Chanel Brownbill and Akeem Arrindell, who at that time gave their support to the National Alliance and United Peoples Party (UP) coalition government. Both Arrindell and Brownbill, as well as a member of Lambriex' cabinet, contested the January 20204 elections on the slate of UP.

The scope of the investigation is said to be broad, examining both the licensing process itself, the role of the Secretary General and Department Heads and any potential infringements of the law for personal gain, such as issuing licenses in exchange for votes in the January 2024 election. Investigators are reportedly considering the increase in votes for individuals under scrutiny as part of their review. Proving any connecting allegations, however, is expected to be a complex task.

The investigation is believed to have begun months ago. In fact, current TEATT Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten publicly acknowledged during a live Council of Ministers press briefing that she understood authorities were looking into the matter.

Separately, an investigation by the Integrity Chamber of St. Maarten uncovered evidence of administrative misconduct, interference, and systemic integrity failures inside the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunication (TEATT) surrounding the issuance of public transportation (PT — bus and taxi) licenses in 2023.

The Chamber’s report depicts a licensing process marred by arbitrary decision-making, circumvention of legal requirements, and direct interference by former Minister Lambriex and his cabinet — all taking place in the months leading up to the January 2024 Parliamentary elections. The report states that they “circumvented the standard process” and “directly involved themselves” in the issuance of licenses.

While the Integrity Chamber stopped short of confirming criminal acts such as bribery or vote-buying, it explicitly warned that “the lack of checks-and-balances and administrative controls makes it likely that these misconducts, and others, occurred.”