The Court of Justice in Suriname has ruled that the 2020 decision by the National Assembly (DNA) to place former Minister Gillmore Hoefdraad under formal accusation was lawful. This decision, made after nearly five years of legal battles, renders Hoefdraad’s civil lawsuit against the State, the National Assembly, and the Public Prosecution Service (OM) inadmissible. Hoefdraad, who remains a fugitive, had contested his prosecution, which stemmed from his alleged involvement in the high-profile case concerning the Central Bank of Suriname (CBvS).
Hoefdraad and his legal team argued that the National Assembly’s decision was unlawful, as the parliament, then led by Jennifer Simons, had previously decided not to prosecute him during the second term of the NDP government. However, following the May 2020 elections, then Attorney General Roy Baidjnath Panday resubmitted a request to prosecute Hoefdraad. The new parliament, led by Marinus Bee and comprising a coalition of VHP, ABOP, NPS, and Pertjajah Luhur, approved the prosecution. Hoefdraad claimed this decision was politically influenced, asserting that the parliament could not revisit a prior decision unless new evidence emerged—a condition not met in this case.
In 2023, Hoefdraad was convicted in absentia, alongside other key figures, including former CBvS Governor Robert van Trikt and legal director Faranaaz Hausil. All defendants appealed their convictions, while Hoefdraad continued his civil case to challenge the legitimacy of his prosecution. The court handling the criminal appeal has completed its investigation but awaits the outcome of this civil case, which has been delayed multiple times.
Hoefdraad’s lawyer, Murwin Dubois, argued that a favorable ruling in the civil case could have impacted the criminal proceedings. Notably, Interpol refused to extradite Hoefdraad to Suriname, removing him from its wanted list and barring Suriname from using its channels, citing the prosecution as politically motivated. With the Court’s ruling affirming the legitimacy of the prosecution, the path is now clear for a final verdict in the criminal appeal.