PHILIPSBURG--Windward Islands Bank (WIB) and Chase Bank, Tampa, Florida, were swindled out of US $365,000 in February and March, it emerged from Wednesday's sitting of the Court of First Instance.

R.G.B. (47) and Z.K.B.F. (37) stood trial in a sizzling hot courtroom Wednesday morning, due to the fact that the air-conditioning was not working.

The Prosecutor's Office is holding the couple responsible for falsely cashing eight cheques of a company named Associated Accommodations at WIB by using false signatures. They are also accused of having defrauded Chase Bank in Tampa, Florida, of $32,000.

Both suspects are also charged with the attempted swindle of WIB to the amount of $12,000 by using a so-called point of sale machine.

The case against the two alleged swindlers was postponed until October 27, because R.C.G. was in Trinidad to attend his daughter's wedding.

Attorney-at-law Shaira Bommel, who will be representing both defendants in this case, also requested a postponement because, in the aftermath of Hurricane Earl and the following power outages, she hadn't had sufficient time to prepare the case, she told the court

WILLEMSTAD--The recent visit of outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende (CDA) to Curaçao was purely and only within the framework of his concern about the constitutional changes. In no way whatsoever did Balkenende wish to exert influence on the local political process, in other words the efforts to form a new Island Government.

The aforementioned is at least what several local political leaders declared after they had spoken with Balkenende. During this visit, the Dutch prime minister himself categorically refused to speak with the local press.

Political leader of "Movementu Futuro Kòrsou" (MFK) Gerrit Schotte said Balkenende wanted to be informed on the local political situation and what are the consequences, of such for approval or not, of the draft Constitution for the new country Curaçao.

The new Island Council that is to be seated on September 4 will have to deal with the draft. There must be clarity on the Constitution before September 7, as the Second Chamber of Dutch Parliament will be meeting on that day to decide on the commencement date of the amendment of the Kingdom Charter, enabling Curaçao and St. Maarten to gain the status of autonomous country within the Kingdom.

According to Schotte, Balkenende is concerned that the date for the final Round Table Conference (RTC) is in danger if there is no majority for the Constitution in Curaçao.

MAN list leader Eunice Eisden also visited with Balkenende and said she made it clear that one will have to wait until Saturday when the new Island Council is seated.

"Pueblo Soberano" (PS) in any case will not cooperate with the approval of the draft Constitution in the Island Council. PS leader Helmin Wiels informed Balkenende accordingly.

Wiels was not pleased as to how the conversation came about. The PS leader received an invitation at eleven o'clock for a meeting that was to take place at two-thirty already.

Eventually Wiels agreed to the conversation that started at three o'clock and was to last forty-five minutes. During the conversation Balkenende also mentioned his concern about the financial and law enforcement situation in St. Maarten; the problems to get the amended Kingdom Charter approved by the Aruba Parliament and Curaçao to approve its draft Constitution.

As it relates to the latter, Wiels was very critical of the role played by the Netherlands. "The Netherlands fell into the trap that they had set together with PAR. They thought that the PAR would now win the elections with ten to eleven seats."

"However, as this did not happen, they are left holding the bag. I clearly indicated that PS would not cooperate. We oppose this Constitution and find that a new process should be started to realise a real Constitution for country Curaçao," added Wiels.

According to the PS leader, the conversation took place within the framework of a lobby with Balkenende attempting to rescue the constitutional process. "He sees they will not succeed and now appeals to us."

Balkenende was also in Aruba, where he also expressed his concern about the situation on Aruba relating to the approval of the new Kingdom Charter that the Aruba Parliament is discussing.

In case there is no two-thirds majority for the proposal in the first "reading," it will be put on the agenda again for a next meeting, in which it can then be adopted with a regular majority.

Looks like PAR is out

WILLEMSTAD--Curaçao is likely to get a completely new governing coalition now that the three parties MFK (5 seats), PS (4 seats) and MAN (2 seats) signed a statement of intent to come to a new Executive Council which would have a minimal majority support of 11 seats in the 21-seat Island Council.

The signing took place at the home of MFK leader Gerrit Schotte, after he had cancelled a meeting with Antillean Parliament Chairman Pedro Atacho who was conducting formation talks on behalf of PAR, which won the election with eight seats. However, because PAR's current partners PNP and FOL got only one seat each, the existing coalition had lost its majority.

In addition to pro-independence party "Pueblo Soberano" (PS), MAN had also stated it would not work with PAR, leaving "Movementu Futuro Korsou" (MFK) as the yellow party's only viable option. Apparently Schotte's new party prefers a coalition in which it is the biggest partner and would claim the first Prime Minister of country Curaçao should the constitutional change process for the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles be concluded on 10-10-10 as intended.

Whether the latter will still be the case remains to be seen, however, as both PS and MAN oppose the agreements made with the Netherlands and voted against the draft constitution for country Curacao in the outgoing Island Council.

The latter resulted in a lack of the required two-thirds majority to pass the constitution and the dissolving of the Island Council to elect a new one that can pass the draft with a regular majority and also become the first Parliament of country Curaçao.

PS has already said it will vote against the current draft. The MFK/PS/MAN statement of intent said there will be "a new process to result in a new constitution."

At the same time, however, the three parties give each other the room to vote on the current draft constitution "according to their conscience" and said the voting result will have no impact on the negotiations for a new Executive Council. This could mean that MFK and/or MAN may vote in favour together with the current coalition parties so that the new relations within the Dutch Kingdom can still take effect.

The so-called "Duncan Law" that the Antillean Parliament adopted last March states that the new Island Councils to become the first Parliaments of future countries Curaçao and St. Maarten will implement the "dualistic system" (separation legislative- and executive branches of government) en route to acquiring country status within the Dutch Kingdom. That means it will no longer be possible for commissioners to be Island Council members.

The Explanatory Memorandum on the law states: "After the dissolution of the Island Council, an Island Council will namely be formed of, which the members cannot be members of, the Executive Council at the same time. Within the framework of the constitutional reforms, it is desirable to implement dualism after the interim dissolution. The acting Island Council of Curaçao at the time of commencement of the Constitution will namely receive the capacity of Parliament of Curaçao."

In view of the fact that Commissioners David Dick (PAR), Zita Jesus-Leito (PAR), Marilyn Alcalá-Wallé (PAR) and Anthony Godett (FOL) will certainly be seated in the new Island-Council this Saturday, this means the Island Territory Curaçao could be without commissioners if no new coalition is concluded by Saturday.

It is not certain yet whether Humphrey Davelaar (PNP) will become a member of the Island-Council. The PNP earned one seat, but the party hasn't decided yet as to whom will hold this seat. Davelaar will resign as commissioner though.

Commissioner Dick has started clearing his office already. He seems to feel PAR will not be part of a possible new Executive Council.

AIRPORT--The Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) was a scene of organised chaos on Tuesday as operations resumed in the aftermath of Hurricane Earl. Passengers who were stuck in St. Maarten as a result of the storm and those scheduled to fly on Tuesday, crowded the terminal in an effort to catch their flights.

Management of PJIA stated on Wednesday that aside from a few cancellations due to the weather conditions related to tropical storm Fiona, operations at PJIA are progressing as normal.

The airport resumed operations on Tuesday shortly after the lifting of the curfew that was in effect during the passing of Hurricane Earl. Airlines and handling companies have since been working hard to restore normalcy.

Airlines such as Air France and Caribbean Airlines added additional flights to accommodate stay-over passengers who had been stranded in St. Maarten.

"All in all, the resumption of operations went smooth. Because of the expected weather conditions associated with hurricane Fiona, a number of airlines did cancel some flights. PJIA is monitoring the situation. Meanwhile, we urge passengers to contact their airlines directly for information regarding their flight," a PJIA press statement read.