The Court of Justice of Suriname has delivered its appellate ruling in the case against Ginmardo Kromosoeto, former director of Surinamese Postal Savings Bank (SPSB), reducing his prison sentence from five to four years. The decision, announced on January 19th, represents a partial victory for the defendant while maintaining significant criminal penalties.
The appellate court’s reduction stemmed specifically from Kromosoeto’s acquittal on charges of participating in a criminal organization. Judicial authorities determined that prosecuting Kromosoeto on this particular charge was unjustified, as several other defendants in the broader SPSB case had not faced similar allegations. This prosecutorial inconsistency influenced the court’s sentencing considerations.
Despite the sentence reduction, Kromosoeto remains in detention related to the SPSB matter, having already spent over two and a half years in preliminary custody awaiting trial outcomes. His defense attorney, Murwin Dubois, had previously petitioned for his client’s release from pretrial detention, but the court denied this motion.
The case has drawn attention to Suriname’s judicial processes, particularly regarding white-collar crime prosecution. The Public Ministry had initially sought an eight-year prison term, significantly harsher than both the original and revised sentences. Kromosoeto’s reduced sentence still includes a substantial financial penalty of SRD 150,000 (approximately $40,000 USD), with a 12-month incarceration alternative should he fail to payment.