Premier Schotte lied to Parliament

PAR: Premier Schotte lied to Parliament

Wednesday, 9 May 2012 11:51

WILLEMSTAD — Premier Gerrit Schotte (MFK) lied to the Parliament. PAR-leader Emily de Jongh-Elhage expressed this serious accusation during a press conference from her party yesterday. According to De Jongh-Elhage, the Premier hadn’t produced any evidence for his accusations expressed during the Parliament meeting last Friday that personnel from the Intelligence Service Curaçao (VDC) had devised plans to unhorse the government. Schotte replied he wouldn’t dilate upon the statements made during the PAR press conference.At the press conference of the PAR yesterday several representatives from the yellow party heavily criticized the Premier and his presentation in the Parliament last Friday. During this presentation, Schotte explained why the government decided on an ‘operational shutdown’ at VDC. Following this presentation, the Council of Seniors held a meeting on Monday with Premier Schotte, Minister of Justice Elmer ‘Kadè’ Wilsoe (PS), Chairman of the Parliament Ivar Asjes (PS) and the chairmen of the various parties in the Parliament. The PAR had delegated their vice-chairman in the Parliament Dennis Jackson. During the press conference Jackson emphasized that the Premier had not produced any evidence for his statements made in the Parliament last Friday. “I specifically asked him about evidence that four VDC-employees had assembled to devise plans to unhorse this government, but the Premier was unable to produce a single document. I also questioned him about his statement that our former premier had ordered the VDC to conduct an investigation into the lieutenant governor, but his response remained forthcoming. Schotte pointed out that the VDC could conduct an investigation on their own or at the request of the premier. But Schotte hadn’t answered my question; he hadn’t produced any evidence for the matters he mentioned”, Jackson said yesterday. The lack of evidence for Schotte’s accusations led De Jongh-Elhage to conclude that the Premier lied to the Parliament. “What Schotte said was a blatant lie. In every self-respecting country lying to the Parliament is a mortal sin and reason for the minister concerned to step down. He concocted a story to conceal the fact that nobody has confidence in the VDC.” PAR-leader De Jongh-Elhage repeated yesterday that the problems at VDC began when Schotte as future premier interfered with the screening of the members of his cabinet. In this respect, she referred to September 16th 2010 when Schotte and his fellow party member (current Minister of Finance) George ‘Jorge’ Jamaloodin traveled to St. Maarten. Lourens Pieter, an employee of the Intelligence Service entrusted with the screening procedure, had accompanied them on this trip. The PAR wonders how Schotte could’ve known that Pieter was entrusted with the screening and why he had invited him on the trip to St. Maarten. After Schotte became premier, he continued his campaign against the VDC because this service insisted on a security investigation into the members of Schotte’s cabinet. This investigation would disclose matters that prevented ministers of the Schotte-cabinet from being sworn in, according to the PAR. The yellow party will give Schotte two weeks to dilate upon all unanswered questions and to produce concrete evidence. If these remain forthcoming, the parliamentary party will request a public meeting on this subject, said De Jongh-Elhage.