The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied any irregularities in the provision of consular services to Guyanese residing in St Maarten, in response to an article published in the St Maarten News Network (SMN) which it says seeks to discredit Consul General of Guyana to Barbados Michael Brotherson.
In the absence of a consular representative in St Maarten, the ministry authorised Brotherson to travel to the Dutch territory to attend to the consular needs of the Guyanese community there, it said in a press release.
“This visit was made only after the necessary protocols were followed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of St Maarten,” the press release said.
The article written by Bibi Hodge Shaw and published in the SMN “has maligned the characters and the public servants of Guyana and St Maarten and has made unfortunate accusations that are totally unfounded.” All consular fees as fixed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana were processed in accordance with the financial regulations of the Government of Guyana, with the required government receipts issued, the ministry said, adding that “All such revenue is remitted to the Government of Guyana Consolidated Fund.”
Further, the ministry said it has advised Hodge Shaw, in separate communication that any further articles with similar content and which carry false and damaging information will result in legal action being taken against her.
The ministry also said that in an effort to strengthen relations between Guyana and St Maarten and to better serve the Guyanese Diaspora there, a request was made to the Kingdom of the Netherlands for its approval for the appointment of a consular representative to be accredited in St Maarten. The ministry is awaiting a response to the request.
