Surinam’s Office of the Attorney General has initiated a preliminary inquiry into a potential corruption matter involving President Chandrikapersad Santokhi and two ministers, including Finance Minister Stanley Raghoebarsing. Allegations suggest that the government may have disbursed around US$7.5 million to Pan-American Real Estate, a local company, through falsified documents.

The Public Prosecution Service clarified that no suspects have been officially identified yet. The case surfaced last November when an anonymous whistleblower submitted various documents, prompting a criminal complaint to the Attorney General’s Office. Subsequently, in January, additional potentially incriminating evidence was provided to the Office, leading to an investigation by the police Anti-Corruption Unit.

Numerous individuals, including Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk and the two ministers, were interrogated during the inquiry. The Public Prosecution Service has now received the police’s findings and has requested a preliminary judicial investigation based on this information.

President Santokhi and the implicated ministers maintain their innocence, asserting that all actions were conducted within legal parameters. However, the whistleblower alleges that Public Works Minister Riad Nurmohamed presented falsified documents at a Council of Ministers meeting to facilitate the payment to Pan-American Real Estate.

Despite Vice President Brunswijk’s reported attempts to block the payment, it is claimed that the minister circumvented the ministerial process and presented the documents to the government council and a cabinet meeting chaired by the president, where Santokhi purportedly approved the payment.

Initially, the finance minister resisted the payment, citing doubts about the project’s eligibility as a public-private partnership. According to the minister of public works, a prior agreement between the former government and Pan-American Real Estate for low-income housing construction was not fulfilled, leading the company to seek reimbursement from the current administration.

Observers speculate on the potential outcome of this case, noting that prosecution of the president and ministers hinges on parliamentary charges brought forth by the Attorney General, with President Santokhi’s coalition holding a majority in Parliament.

  Surinam