Five days in court, two cases, one president… and probably a lot of coffee
SAINT-MARTIN.
It is Monday morning in Marigot, and while most people are trying to figure out how to survive another week of traffic, bills, potholes and political speeches, the President of the Collectivité has a slightly different appointment.
Court.
And not just for a quick “good morning, Your Honour” before going back to business.
Louis Mussington is due before the Saint-Martin court starting this Monday, October 5, for two separate cases, with hearings scheduled over five days. The first case concerns alleged illegal taking of interests and is scheduled for October 5 and 6. The second, involving Mussington and four of his vice-presidents, is scheduled for October 7, 8 and 9 and concerns alleged favoritism and misuse of public property.
So, basically, October has arrived with a rather unusual program:
Monday: Court.
Tuesday: Court.
Wednesday: Still Court.
Thursday: Guess what? Court.
Friday: Court.
At this point, somebody at the Collectivité might want to check whether the tribunal has started offering a weekly subscription.
THE FIRST CASE: WHO GETS THE JOB?
The first case concerns alleged illegal taking of interests linked to recruitment within the Collectivité between 2022 and 2024.
And this is where Saint-Martin’s famous small-island problem enters the courtroom.
You know the one.
Everybody knows everybody.
Your cousin knows somebody.
Your neighbour knows the cousin.
The cousin knows somebody at the Collectivité.
And suddenly everybody is asking the same innocent question:
“But who exactly hired who?”
Naturally, justice will have to determine what actually happened, who made which decisions and whether the rules were respected.
Because apparently, in public administration, “I know the guy” is not officially recognised as a recruitment procedure.
A shame, really. It would make human resources much faster.
THEN COMES THE CAR STORY
But wait.
The week is not finished.
From October 7 to 9, Mussington will return to court alongside four vice-presidents: Alain Richardson, Bernadette Davis, Michel Petit and Dominique Louisy.
This second case concerns alleged favoritism and the use of vehicles connected to the Collectivité. Prosecutors allege that certain companies benefited from vehicle rental arrangements without the required public procurement process, while some elected officials allegedly benefited personally from vehicles without proper authorisation.
Which leaves us with the obvious Saint-Martin question:
How many cars does it take to drive an administration into court?
Nobody knows yet.
But apparently, enough to require several days of hearings.
WELCOME TO SAINT-MARTIN
Now imagine explaining all this to an extraterrestrial.
The alien lands in Marigot.
He looks around.
Beautiful beaches.
Palm trees.
Blue water.
Friendly people.
Then he asks:
“Who runs this island?”
You point at the Collectivité.
He asks:
“And where does the president go when there are questions about public administration?”
You point toward the courthouse.
The alien looks at you.
Then back at the courthouse.
Then at the Collectivité.
Then back at the courthouse.
“Is this part of the government system?”
“Yes.”
“So the government investigates the government?”
“Sometimes.”
“And who pays for all this?”
At that point, the alien quietly returns to his spaceship.
“Take me back to Mars.”
THE SAINT MARTIN NOIR VERSION
In Saint Martin NOIR, this would obviously be much simpler.
The aliens would already have known everything.
They would have installed a surveillance satellite above the island, downloaded every public document, analysed every vehicle, every contract and every recruitment file, and concluded after six minutes:
“These humans are complicated.”
The alien commander would then issue one final order:
“Do not interfere. Let the court handle it.”
Even the extraterrestrials know when a situation is above their pay grade.
SERIOUSLY NOW
Behind all the sarcasm, these are serious judicial proceedings.
Louis Mussington and the other people concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and it is for the court to examine the evidence and determine whether any offence has actually been committed. The hearings taking place this week are precisely where those questions are supposed to be examined. Le Journal de Saint-Barth
But this is ZoukMag.
We report the news.
We watch the news.
We sometimes stare at the news for a few minutes in complete disbelief.
And then we make jokes about it.
Because here in Saint-Martin, sometimes reality writes the script before Saint Martin NOIR even gets a chance.
ZoukMag – The news that bothers… but tells it all!
Version réseaux sociaux
🚨 SAINT-MARTIN COURT WEEK HAS ARRIVED!
Louis Mussington is heading to court this Monday… and apparently, one case was not enough.
📅 October 5-6: first case.
📅 October 7-9: second case, with four vice-presidents.
Five days in court.
At this point, we are wondering whether the tribunal should simply give the Collectivité a season pass. 😂
The cases involve alleged illegal taking of interests, favoritism and alleged misuse of public property, including questions surrounding recruitment and vehicles.
Meanwhile, somewhere in space:
👽 “Should we land in Saint-Martin?”
👽 “No.”
“Why?”
👽 “There is a court.”
“So?”
👽 “They are already dealing with the politicians. We don’t want to get involved.”
Welcome to SAINT MARTIN NOIR.
The facts are real.
The jokes are ours.
The aliens are still fictional.
ZoukMag – The news that bothers… but tells it all!
Iggy
