Doctor Michel Petit, a well-known doctor on the island who practiced his profession for more than 32 years in St. Maarten had an embarrassing experience with a PAF agent yesterday at the Bellevue border in the presence of the Prefect Delegate Sylvie Feucher.
In an article published today on the SMN NEWS site, Doctor Petit recounted his difficulties encountered at the Bellevue border on Saturday 23 May.
According to Dr. Petit, he obtained his “C-waiver” waiver when asked for medical advice during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in St. Maarten. He said since he got his C-waiver he had crossed the border several times without a problem, even when Dutch authorities were at the border, except this Saturday, May 23.
“I went to Cole bay but found that the businesses were closed this Saturday. I then turned around to go home to Marigot. On the way back to the Bellevue border, there were about twenty vehicles in front of me with several passengers and the Border Police who let everyone pass without any strict control. I think that in 30 seconds each vehicle was authorized to pass, but when it was my turn, at the same time the delegated Prefect Sylvie Feucher arrived on the scene.
At that moment, the lady officer of the PAF wanting to demonstrate that she was doing a good job expressed doubts about my exceptional travel certificate (C-waiver) that I had obtained more than a month ago.
Then she asked for my passport, then she wanted to know who had written my waiver signed by the Prime Minister, all to show the Prefect Delegate that the PAF was doing a good job, from what I felt. ”
Dr Petit added that the embarrassment did not stop there, the Prefect having approached and wanting to know how he had obtained his exemption which was not the original. Dr Petit replied that he had received the waiver by email and asked if she too had sent during confinement authorizations electronically.
“There was no other way to receive the waiver than through this,” explained Dr Petit. Finally they took her passport and her exemption and disappeared from her sight for a few minutes to make checks because the Prefect said that she had the list of all the people who had received authorizations from the Dutch side.
The PAF officer told him that some people were committing fraud by establishing their own waivers and that they had signed them themselves. "I now have to ask myself if I fit the profile of someone who commits false writing" asks Dr. Petit.
On Friday, Dr Petit was invited by the St Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) to pick up a package from the French side containing surgical gowns. He said "he was able to retrieve the medical equipment and deliver it to the SMMC in less than two hours and that he had used the same derogatory document without any problem, but today a PAF officer who wanted to impress Prefect Feucher suspected him of fraud ”.
“In my opinion all this was not necessary, I am a French citizen, a health professional who worked and paid his taxes on the Dutch side, and my vehicle has a French license plate. I am totally embarrassed by how things turned out on Saturday and hope no one else has the same experience.
“I have a message for Prefect Feucher. It is unfortunate that she went to the border and questioned the C-waiver waiver granted to me by Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs while not respecting the recommendations on social distancing. The PAF officer who was about two feet from my face did not have a glove or mask and while she handles the documents of all passing drivers, she did not sanitize her hands.
They returned my passport and my exemption, after confirming that the latter was in order, without any health precautions. I disinfected them immediately with the product I had in my vehicle because I don't want to be affected by COVID-19.
In the event of a resurgence of the virus on the French side, our Prefect Ms. Feucher must know that it may also be caused by agents who do not follow the procedures. As a doctor I can tell you that basic social distancing procedures are not being followed in this sensitive place. Also, I passed the border several times a week and did not see any vehicles turn around. In my opinion, when you are not there, it is free passage for all because it may be too complicated to fire someone. So as a representative of the French State, if you want to enforce border control, you must either be on site permanently or open the borders so that everyone can pass and impose the directives established by health professionals. and organizations such as the World Health Organization ”.
According to an article published today on the SMN NEWS website: www.smn-news.com
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