Deputy director still in jail

The Public Prosecutor’s Office recently ordered the release of 4 paymasters and 1 coordinator who were assigned to the Ministry of Social Affairs. Reports indicate that the deputy director will remain in police custody. All 6 suspects had been arrested over the disappearance of funds intended for the payment of general child allowance (AKB). The examining judge will reportedly decide if the 6th suspect will remain in police custody. The defense attorney of the 6th suspect, Arjan Ramlakhan, pointed out that the examining judge has not made a decision yet. The paymasters and the coordinator reportedly claim that they had followed the instructions of the deputy director. Therese Roos, the defense attorney of the coordinator, told Times of Suriname that her client did not embezzle any money. Her client claims that the deputy director had sent a paymaster to collect the money which would be spent on community works. Roos pointed out that there was a policy of tolerance. The various department of the ministry borrowed money from each other. But in this particular case SRD 500.000 which was borrowed from the AKB fund was not paid back. The defense attorney pointed out that this is not an embezzlement case because the suspects were not in charge of any money and that high ranking officials were pulling the strings.

Ramlakhan pointed out that his client who was the deputy director at the department for Administrative Payments for Social Provisions insisted that the money was spent on community projects. The head from another department had reportedly requested funds. The attorney explained that a clerical error was made and that this is neither a case of embezzlement nor extortion. He also added that it was not uncommon for departments to move money around. But this time they did not fill the gap again.