PARAMARIBO, Suriname – Authorities have made a breakthrough in investigations into the theft of more than SRD50 million (1 SRD=US$0.03) from the Ministry of Finance and Planning earlier this year, with the arrest of the alleged mastermind and another suspect this week.
Robert Khoendjbiharie was taken into custody. A few days later, Mosa Rother, an usher at the Ministry and the suspected mastermind of the crime, was arrested in traffic in Paramaribo.
Earlier reports had indicated that the two had gone into hiding. Preliminary police investigations confirmed that Khoendjbiharie had fled to French Guiana but recently returned to Suriname.
The perpetrators allegedly used forged receipts and other documents to transfer the money from the Ministry’s account to their bank account. Several expensive luxury cars purchased with the stolen cash on April 25 and June 14 have been seized.
The fraud was discovered in June when the Central Bank found that documents were offered for large transfers against agreements made with the Ministry. Opposition legislator Melvin Bouva later raised the issue in Parliament.
The scandal had led to demonstrations in Paramaribo, with protesters demanding the resignation of then Finance Minister Armand Achaibersing. He had consistently denied involvement in the crime and refused to take political responsibility for it.
However, he subsequently resigned for “personal reasons.”
During his farewell press conference in September, Achaibersing called the crime an “ordinary theft” from his trusted ministry staff.
He also disclosed that all the money had been recovered.
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