💨 Bouterse on the run

Happy Monday!

This week we continue covering Bouterse’s conviction, possible misuse of state funds, the controversial land grab by the Mennonites, and how the government finally took action against the ‘ghost’ civil servants.

Formal arrest warrant for Bouterse and Dijksteel

• The Attorney General initiates an investigation into Desi Bouterse and Iwan Dijksteel for failing to register as required on January 12.

• Police units visited their home addresses, but both convicts were not found, leading to the issuance of an official search warrant.

• The Public Prosecution Service (OM) announces plans to track down Bouterse and Dijksteel internationally based on a request from lawyer Irvin Kanhai.

• Despite an agreement for Bouterse to register at the Care Hotel for health reasons, he did not appear by the specified deadline of January 16, 2024.

• The convicted Dijksteel's registration with the penal institution in PID remained unchanged, and both individuals could not be located at their home addresses during the morning search.

• The Attorney General orders an investigation domestically, and Interpol will be involved in the international search, according to the Communications Unit press release.

Uproar in Suriname about huge swaths of land being given to Mennonites endangering Suriname’s forestry and carbon sink status

• Ministers Sewdien, Vorswijk, and Ramdin deny land allocation to Mennonites and the provision of 500,000 hectares of land to various entities.

• Minister Vorswijk emphasizes that there is no limitation on land applications, and to date, no specific applications for Mennonites have been seen or processed.

• Minister Ramdin reveals that fifty Mennonite families were granted permission to settle in Suriname for three years in October 2022, but this has not been utilized yet.

• The Mennonites, who seek no additional government facilities, are to be evaluated for their contributions to the country's economic growth after three years.

• Ramdin refutes claims of land ownership by Mennonites in various locations, emphasizing that no application for land has been submitted to LVV or GBB.

• The government's land allocation process involves comprehensive assessment, consultation with relevant ministries, and consideration of environmental effects before any allocation is made.

John Goedschalk first raised the alarm on De Dave Podcast

• Evidence provided by John Goedschalk shows that applications for over 78,773 hectares have been made by Ruud Souverein (Terra Invest) and processed by GBB, raising concerns about the Domain Service's actions without the minister's knowledge.

• Documents reveal that three applications from the Domain Service were sent to the district commissioner for a declaration of no objection for the mentioned hectares, dated August 12, 2022.

• Goedschalk clarifies that he never claimed land allocation has happened but insists on transparency and clarity, emphasizing his commitment to protecting the forest and its inhabitants.

• Goedschalk expresses concern about potential land destruction and emphasizes the importance of standing up for values and not being complicit in environmental degradation.

• Implications of the land being given to the Mennonites is the loss of Suriname’s carbon sink status with a loss of potential carbon credit funds, loss of forest and biodiversity, and loss of communities within the interior of the country.

Government faces scrutiny for awarding the purchase of 53,000 food packages to Assembly Member Melvin Bouva without a public tender

• Bouva, from the NDP, insists on a thorough investigation to address perceived corruption, stating that such practices must cease.

• Documents presented reveal an agreement between the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing with Kasi Trading for 23,000 food parcels, each costing SRD 1,500, totaling SRD 34.5 million.

• Initially, the deal involved 11,500 packages, but it was adjusted per a missive on December 6, with subsequent changes on November 22 and December 20, 2023.

• Bouva suggests government associates may have influenced the adjustments, leading to an increased amount of SRD 80 million and the involvement of more entrepreneurs.

• Calls for the award to be reversed and advocates for a public tender process to ensure transparency and fairness.

Salaries of hundreds of civil servants halted

• Hundreds of government servants across various ministries have been identified as receiving double salaries based on mandatory registration data.

• Minister Bronto Somohardjo of the Interior (BiZa) states that these double salaries were immediately halted in consultation with line ministers.

• BiZa has sent 7,613 defense letters to civil servants who failed to register, receiving 1,174 responses, with 610 deemed invalid.

• In the second phase of wage cessation, thousands of salaries will be stopped, saving the state millions for reinvestment in the government's social program.

• Mandatory registration has revealed the existence of ghost officials, and Minister Somohardjo emphasizes the importance of measures against those evading service and receiving unfair remuneration.

• The revised Personnel Act facilitates actions against individuals deliberately avoiding service, ensuring fairness for the majority of civil servants who faithfully perform their duties.