The "Final Chapter?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article from the Daily Herald about the "Love/Hate" affair going on in St. Martin.  Specifically the Bikini and Kon Tiki beach bars vs. Sindextour Company.  If you read my stories on a regular basis you know I have written a few stories concerning the soap opera drama that has surrounded the case on beautiful and world renowned Orient Beach on the French side of the St. Martin/Sint Maarten island. This is the beach where patrons can bare it all if they care to do so. Both beach bars have undergone the wrecking ball recently after losing their a legal battles.  Carol and I made many trips to both beach bars while visiting the island for the last 10 years and enjoyed our experiences in both places.  We're so sorry it had to end like this.  

This beach bar has been demolished!

The legal case had to do with the parcel of land dubbed AW33 on which the restaurants Bikini and Kon Tiki were operating and dates back over two years.  It was back then that Norbert Luftman's, on behalf of his company Sindextour, AOT (Authorisation d'Occupation Temporaire) became invalid.  Sindextour no longer had control of the land on which Bikini and Kon Tiki sat and could no longer charge rent.  After paying the rent for a few of the following months to Sindextour, Elisa Cohen and Philip Just, owners of the two restaurants, discovered Luftman and his company no longer had the right to collect their money and allegedly paid it directly to the St. Martin government.  

This beach bar has been demolished!

Cohen and Just then applied for their own AOT on parcel AW33.  They were told it was being considered by the govern- ment.  Then a few weeks later, Luftman re-applied for the AOT and viola, was granted a new AOT.  Cohen and Just thought something funny was taking place.  They filed charges and were eventually evicted from their restaurants.  Their attorney filed charges against Vice President Guillaume Arnell, former director of Service Urbanisme Jose Carti and Sindextour owner Norbert Luftman claiming fraud, complicity and collusion in the issuing of the AOT renewal to Luftman on April 17, 2012.  Many claimed that the Government was corrupt and this was one more example of what was taking place.  Well, the case has been settled!  Guess who won.  Yep, all were found not guilty November 28, 2013 of all charges.  It was stated that there was insufficient proof to uphold the charges which can now be appealed within 10 days.  Fat chance that will ever be changed.  And does it really matter now?  Both restaurants have been demolished and new ones are being erected in their places.  Now how could that take place before the verdict?  Kinda puzzling to me.  "There is no justice in St. Martin," said Cohen after the verdict.  She claimed they had a ton of evidence that something fishy was going on, but didn't seem to matter.  They didn't even get any type of settlement.  But, Cohen and Just haven't given up quite yet.  They have civil cases against Luftman and Sindextour that are coming up and who knows what might happen.  Remember the OJ case?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.