A senior former Surinamese political figure has announced he will comply fully with a parliamentary inquiry, breaking with the top law enforcement official who has declined to give in-person testimony to the panel.
Bronto Somohardjo, who previously served as Minister of Internal Affairs and currently holds a seat in the National Assembly, confirmed in an interview with local outlet Starnieuws that he will appear before the special parliamentary commission tasked with questioning current and former political officeholders on May 22. The veteran politician emphasized his full commitment to cooperating with the ongoing inquiry, noting that upholding careful, objective, and transparent adherence to constitutional procedures is a core priority for the process.
“Out of respect for the National Assembly and our democratic rule of law, I will appear before the commission and offer my full cooperation to the process,” Somohardjo stated.
The former minister also drew attention to a notable decision from Prosecutor General Garcia Paragsingh, who has opted against appearing in person before the commission to answer clarifying questions. Instead, Paragsingh has indicated she will only respond to any inquiries in written form.
Somohardjo argued that when the inquiry involves requests for extreme measures including the potential detention of a political officeholder, direct in-person explanation to the National Assembly’s commission is not just appropriate, but expected. “When such severe measures are requested against a political officeholder, the public and the legislature are owed open, direct accountability before the National Assembly’s commission,” he asserted.
Closing his statement, Somohardjo made clear he has full confidence that the commission will conduct a thorough, careful assessment of all relevant facts, documents, and procedural steps. “I have nothing to hide,” he stressed.