A routine budget debate in Suriname’s National Assembly was thrown into disarray Wednesday afternoon after an opposition parliamentarian brought forward explosive corruption allegations against the country’s police anti-corruption unit, triggering a temporary suspension of proceedings and a formal commitment from the justice minister to deliver a full update to lawmakers early next week.
NDP Member of Parliament Ebu Jones claimed during the debate that he held concrete evidence of wrongdoing by the Corruption Investigation Unit (COT) of the Suriname Police Corps, forcing Assembly Speaker Ashwin Adhin to suspend the meeting to allow Minister of Justice and Police Harish Monorath time to verify Jones’ claims. When the session resumed after the break, Monorath clarified a key point of jurisdiction that undermines the core of Jones’ immediate allegations: the specific case Jones referenced is not being handled by the COT at all.
Instead, the case falls under the purview of the Judicial Intervention Team (JIT), a specialized investigative unit that operates under the direct authority of the Public Prosecution Service (OM), not the national police. This jurisdictional split means the COT does not have direct access to updates on the case’s progress, Monorath explained. “The JIT falls under the Public Prosecution Service and is overseen by the prosecutor-general, so the COT does not hold direct information on the processing and conclusion of the referenced case,” the minister stated.
Monorath further acknowledged long-standing challenges within the Suriname Police Corps that the government is actively working to address. “We have stated on multiple occasions that we are grappling with serious integrity issues within the force,” he said. “We work every day to restructure the corps so that it becomes safer and healthier from the inside out.” While police hold responsibility for investigating criminal offenses, prosecution of those cases falls to the Public Prosecution Service and the prosecutor-general, he added, outlining the clear separation of duties in the country’s justice system.
Following the minister’s initial clarification, NDP parliamentary leader Rabin Parmessar proposed that Monorath coordinate with the Public Prosecution Service over the weekend to gather full details on the case, then present a comprehensive update to the National Assembly on Monday. Parmessar noted that the allegations directly impact public and parliamentary trust in corruption investigation and prosecution processes, making full transparency a critical priority. Monorath accepted the proposal, confirming that the government will continue its fact-finding over the coming days and provide lawmakers with as detailed a brief as possible on Monday.
After receiving this formal commitment, Assembly Speaker Adhin ordered the resumption of the suspended budget debate, and requested that Jones set aside further discussion of the allegations until the government delivers its findings to the legislature.