A significant discrepancy has emerged between Suriname’s Public Prosecution Service (OM) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV) regarding the handling of criminal complaints related to fraudulent phytosanitary certificates in the timber export sector.
The OM issued a statement confirming it had instructed police to accept a complaint filed by LVV employees on January 9th regarding irregularities in export documentation. According to prosecutors, one formal complaint was registered against timber exporter Jeva Trading NV, accused of deliberately misrepresenting wood species in export applications, resulting in false information appearing on official phytosanitary documents.
However, LVV officials contend that a more critical complaint targeting ministry personnel allegedly involved in knowingly signing fraudulent international documents was effectively rejected. Attorney Diepak Jairam, representing LVV, revealed that while Jeva Trading faced criminal proceedings, no action was taken against government officials who allegedly certified shipments despite being aware of discrepancies between actual cargo contents and declared wood species.
The ministry reports receiving only one official acknowledgment of their complaint, despite attempting to file two separate reports. LVV’s legal counsel emphasized that had both complaints been properly registered, the ministry should have received two distinct acknowledgment receipts.
This case forms part of a broader criminal investigation into timber exports labeled as ‘Mora roundlogs’ that allegedly contained other wood species—some prohibited for import by India. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between judicial authorities and government ministries in addressing corruption allegations within Suriname’s export certification processes.
LVV has announced plans to formally approach the Attorney General seeking clarification on why the complaint against internal officials wasn’t processed and whether their actions will eventually face criminal investigation.