PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – The Office of the Attorney General has requested a preliminary investigation into a potential corruption case against President Chandrikapersad Santokhi and two ministers, including the Finance Minister, Stanley Raghoebarsing.
This follows reports that the government allegedly paid an estimated US$7.5 million to Pan-American Real Estate, a local company, using false documents.
The Public Prosecution Service said on Wednesday, “It is important to emphasize that no one has yet been identified as a suspect.”
The issue came to light last November when an anonymous whistleblower, armed with various documents, filed a criminal complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.
In January, the whistleblower delivered even more potentially incriminating evidence to the Office of the Attorney General, and the police Anti-Corruption Unit was subsequently assigned to investigate the matter.
During the investigation, the police questioned several individuals, including Vice President Ronnie Brunswick and the two ministers.
The Public Prosecution Service said it has received a police file on the case, and on that basis, the examining magistrate has requested a preliminary judicial investigation.
The Public Prosecution Service added, “After analyzing the police investigation results and partly in view of the nature of the case, a preliminary judicial investigation has been requested.”
President Santokhi and the two cabinet ministers have told reporters that they are not guilty of any criminal offense and that everything took place according to the current legal accounting rules.
According to the whistleblower, Public Works Minister Riad Nurmohamed submitted falsely prepared documents at the Council of Ministers meeting to facilitate the payment to Pan-American Real Estate.
Vice President Brunswijk, who presides over the meetings, allegedly blocked the payment twice. However, the whistleblower claims that the minister ultimately bypassed the ministerial meeting and submitted the suspected falsely prepared documents to the government council meeting and a cabinet meeting chaired by the president.
During that meeting, President Santokhi was said to have approved the payment of approximately US$7.5 million.
Initially, the Finance Minister refused to make the payment because he believed that the work carried out by Pan-American Real Estate did not qualify as a public-private partnership project, as had been suggested.
According to the Minister of Public Works, the former government of Desi Bouterse entered into an agreement with Pan-American Real Estate in 2019 to construct houses for low-income groups. The then government committed to paving the roads at a real estate development project of the company.
Nurmohammed said these agreements were allegedly not fulfilled, resulting in the company having to pave the roads and seeking to recover the funds from the present administration.
Political observers say it remains to be seen whether this case will result in the prosecution of the president and his two ministers.
Government members and former political office holders can only be prosecuted by law if Parliament charges them at the request of the Attorney General, in which President Santoki’s coalition enjoys a majority.
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