St. Maarten – A great deal of money has disappeared at the National Security Service VDSM, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams confirmed at yesterday’s weekly press briefing. The government accountant bureau Soab completed its investigation into irregularities at the service and presented its findings to the Prime Minister.
Wescot-Williams declined to say how much money is gone. “It is evident from the Soab-report that a considerable amount of funds could not be substantiated as funds used for the operations of the service,” was all she would say.
One of Soab’s recommendations is to give the head of the service, James Richardson, the opportunity “to substantiate or give elucidations” on its findings. The Soab furthermore recommended to do a quick scan of the organizational procedures at the security service. This scan will be completed within the next two weeks, Wescot-Williams said.
A copy of the Soab-report has been sent to members of the oversight committee and to the General Audit Chamber.
Rumors that the head of the National Security Service had disappeared when the news about irregularities broke fell flat, after Wescot-Williams declared that she had spoken to Richardson and that he had also met with the investigators of the Soab.
The PM revealed that the first signs about irregularities had surfaced in April. “These signals came from within the VDSM-organization,” she said. The suspicions of irregularities led to the decision to have the government accountant bureau investigate the books of the National Security Service.