Minister of Justice hit with financial scandal

Happy Monday!

This week, we cover further oil developments in Suriname’s offshore gas industry, a scandal at the Ministry of Justice, and policies of government land reform.

Suriname’s oil company, Staatsoilie, has approved the commerciality of offshore gas development.

• Staatsolie approved the commercial development of the Sloanea-1 gas discovery in offshore Block 52.

• PETRONAS Suriname (80% operator) and Staatsolie’s subsidiary POC (20%) are partners under a 2013 PSC.

• Sloanea-1 (2020) confirmed gas; Sloanea-2 (2024) defined the reservoir and improved resource estimates.

• The field is now deemed economically viable. Development will include wells, subsea systems, and a regional first: a floating LNG (FLNG) facility.

• PETRONAS will submit a development plan; the Final Investment Decision is expected in late 2026.

• First offshore gas production for Suriname is projected for 2030.

Minister of Justice and Police Harish Monorath is under political pressure.

• Minister Harish Monorath is under political pressure after it emerged that he had continued to receive payments from the Foreign Exchange Commission, despite leaving the commission when he became minister.

• The issue was raised by opposition party VHP leader Asiskumar Gajadien, and prompted an immediate investigation by the government.

• The investigation confirmed that payments came directly from the Commission, not the Ministry of Finance.

• Monorath says he verbally resigned from the Commission, and thus assumed payments had stopped. He claims to have been unaware that money was still being deposited because he had not checked his account for months. He has said that any wrongly received funds will be returned.

• Opposition leader Gajadien argues the case shows a lack of transparency in government, and documents suggest the Foreign Exchange Commission did ask the Ministry of Finance to halt payments.

• Governing party NDP leader Rabin Parmessar defended Monorath. He blamed the Ministry of Finance and pointed to a similar past case involving former VHP minister Rishma Kuldipsingh, claiming she also received double payment and never returned it.

Former Minister Rishma Kuldipsingh rejected these accusations, calling them false and intentionally misleading.

• She stated she requested her salary be stopped after leaving the Ministry of Economic Affairs and submitted two official letters, but bureaucratic delays meant payments continued for more than three months.

• Kuldipsingh says she voluntarily repaid all funds and has documentation to prove it.

• She has accused the NDP members of parliament of trying to damage her reputation and says their conduct undermines trust in parliament.

• She asserts she has always acted with integrity and urges Assembly chairman Ashwin Adhin to correct the misinformation and enforce parliamentary standards.

President Simons will conduct land reforms.

• President Jennifer Simons announced that land-allocation criteria will be sharply tightened.

• A major policy overhaul is planned, with new laws expected in 2026 that will clearly define acceptable purposes for land (industry, housing, agriculture, social projects).

• Applicants will need to prove readiness to execute their project; if no progress is seen within 2–3 years, the land rights will automatically lapse.

• Simons noted that Suriname has large areas of unused agricultural land, even though productive use could expand farming without affecting forests.

• The Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management faces administrative problems, including unlawful allocations and long delays for applicants.

• These issues highlight the urgent need for reform.