In a surprising legal development, Surinamese media platform DTV-Express finds itself facing litigation from Burney Brunswijk, a senior legal officer at state mining company NV Grassalco, despite multiple news organizations having published identical information regarding corruption allegations. The lawsuit stems from January 2026 reporting about a criminal complaint filed with the Suriname Police Force’s Herman E. Gooding bureau alleging document forgery against both Brunswijk and Grassalco’s president-directeur Wesley Rozenhout.
The criminal complaint, officially lodged by Berto Sampi on January 19, 2026, accuses the government mining officials of falsifying documents—an offense punishable under Article 278 of Suriname’s Penal Code. While SR Herald, Starnieuws, and other media outlets published similar reports about the allegations, Brunswijk has exclusively targeted DTV-Express through legal representation by attorney Iris Nazir.
Through summary proceedings, Brunswijk demands the immediate removal of DTV-Express’s article titled ‘Breaking News: Aangifte wegens valsheid in geschrifte tegen Rozenhout en Brunswijk’ and requires the publication of a formal rectification across all distribution channels within 24 hours of any court ruling. The lawsuit further seeks to prohibit future publications linking Brunswijk to criminal activities without official confirmation from the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Notably, the legal action includes a request for substantial financial penalties—a daily fine of SRD 1 million (approximately $27,000 USD) for non-compliance with judicial orders. The current status regarding judicial acceptance of Brunswijk’s lawsuit remains unclear as legal proceedings continue to develop.