A simmering power struggle between executive leadership and the newly appointed supervisory board at state-owned Canawaima Management Company (CMC) is on the brink of a major escalation, with the firm’s terminal manager calling for urgent intervention from the national government. In a formal letter addressed to Raymond Landveld, Suriname’s Minister of Transport, Communication and Tourism, terminal manager Lesley Daniël has laid out detailed allegations against the company’s Raad van Commissarissen (RvC, Supervisory Board), accusing the body of systematically overstepping its mandated oversight role and encroaching on day-to-day operational management.
Internal documents reviewed by local media outlet Starnieuws corroborate Daniël’s claims that the new RvC has been making executive decisions that fall outside the scope of its supervisory mandate. These unauthorized actions include signing off on major investment commitments, approving new staff hires, and signing off on day-to-day operational expenditures, according to the documentation.
What has sharply intensified the conflict are emerging allegations of widespread conflicts of interest within the RvC, with particular focus falling on Richenel Vrieze, the board’s president commissioner. These claims have been independently confirmed by the trade union representing workers at the state-owned enterprise, led by Dayanand Dwarka. The union has confirmed it is aware of the problematic actions, but has not yet finalized a decision on what collective action it may take. The union’s governing body is scheduled to hold a deliberative vote on the matter this coming Monday.
Per the reviewed documentation, multiple service contracts have been awarded to firms linked to Vrieze. The companies, which operate in procurement and repair services for CMC, are currently registered under Vrieze’s wife’s name, though public records show Vrieze was the direct owner of the businesses in prior years.
Further financial irregularities have also been uncovered: procurement records show goods were originally purchased from a third-party firm at a lower cost, but inflated invoices were submitted for reimbursement through Vrieze-linked entities to secure higher payments. Additional documentation also reveals that apartments have been rented to one sitting RvC member from a building owned by the son of another RvC board member, creating another unreported conflict of interest.
In response to the allegations, the RvC has pushed back against Daniël, pushing for his immediate removal from his position. Board members claim Daniël has failed to deliver sufficient performance for the state-owned firm, which has faced severe long-term financial shortfalls despite generating substantial annual revenue. The RvC accuses Daniël of drawing a high executive salary without meeting performance expectations for the role.
The combination of toxic institutional power struggles and serious potential integrity violations has created extreme pressure on CMC’s operations and governance. In his formal request to the minister, Daniël is calling for immediate government intervention to address the perceived dysfunction and rule-breaking on the part of the current RvC, requesting targeted measures to correct the board’s overreach and resolve the alleged conflicts of interest.