Suriname’s main opposition National Democratic Party (NDP), has reiterated its calls for the resignation of Finance and Planning Minister Armand Achaibersing following the discovery of a major fraud scandal in which millions of dollars (One SR$-US$0.04 cent) had been withdrawn from the bank account of the Ministry of Finance and Planning through forged documents and receipts.
The authorities said that a total of SR$40.9 million had been withdrawn from the account in April and June, with the perpetrators presenting false documents to the Central Bank of Suriname (CBvS) for cash.
The government confirmed the withdrawal after NDP legislator Melvin Bouva raised the issue in Parliament earlier this month.
“We can’t trust him with our money. He has to pack up and go,” said Bouva said during the NDP executive meeting on Sunday night.
The NDP said that the minister should resign, failing which President Chandrikapersad Santokhi should dismiss him.
Last week, Achaibersing, who has said he is not stepping down, said the investigation has so far revealed that the payment orders did not come from the system of the ministry.
“What happened is that the perpetrators scanned real payment documents and then changed the amounts, as well as the name of the recipient and his bank account number.”
The false papers were then presented to the CBvS between authentic payment documents, where the irregularities were only discovered on the fourth occasion. On the three previous occasions, the perpetrators managed to receive SR$46,909,602.42, the minister said.
“As the political highest person in the ministry, I am and will remain responsible for all the snags that are left on the ministry. But I should not be portrayed as the perpetrator because that is unacceptable,” said Achaibersing, giving the assurance that he will do his best to prevent a recurrence.
But NDP vice-chair, Jennifer Simons, told Sunday’s meeting that even if the minister had nothing to do with the scam, he is responsible since he has to watch over the money of the country.
Meanwhile, the Organic Movement, which has been holding protest action since last week to force the government to change its socio-economic policies, is calling on political parties not to make the issue a call for the removal of the Santokhi government from office.
Speaking at a news conference on Sunday night, the leaders of the Organic Movement sought to make it clear that the fight is not solely about the resignation of the government but that it must do what it has promised to the people.
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