A dramatic bombshell dropped during Suriname’s National Assembly budget debate on June 26, forcing an immediate suspension of proceedings after opposition NDP member of parliament Ebu Jones leveled serious corruption allegations against a serving officer in the Suriname Police Force’s anti-corruption unit.
Jones told the plenary that he holds concrete evidence proving the senior unit official demanded a $7,000 bribe from a local entrepreneur in exchange for dropping an active investigation into alleged corruption at the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV). The lawmaker emphasized he did not make the accusation lightly, confirming he has secured audio recordings, screenshot evidence, voice messages, and an official police report numbered 131/2025 to back up his claims. A report against the officer has already been filed with authorities, Jones added, and despite the formal complaint, the implicated official remains on active duty within the anti-corruption unit. “When I speak, I do not speak without basis,” Jones told the assembled parliamentarians.
Following the explosive allegations, Assembly Speaker Ashwin Adhin pushed Jones to confirm he would hand over all supporting evidence to the government for investigation, which the lawmaker agreed to do. Jones noted that relevant authorities already have access to the materials related to the complaint.
Responding on behalf of the Suriname government, Minister André Misiekaba called the allegations far-reaching and stressed the administration cannot ignore claims of misconduct within a key police anti-corruption body. He urged Jones to immediately transfer all evidence to the government, while drawing a clear distinction: even if one officer is found to have acted improperly, this does not mean the entire anti-corruption unit is corrupt. Misiekaba confirmed that Minister of Justice and Police Kenneth Amoksi has already received an immediate order to launch a verification of all information Jones presented.
After confirming Jones had shared sufficient concrete detail to warrant a full formal investigation, Speaker Adhin approved a proposal from the National Assembly to suspend the ongoing budget debate. The suspension gives the government time to complete its probe, with an official response expected when the budget debate resumes at a later point, expected during the same parliamentary sitting.