By Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com

PARAMARIBO, Suriname; A former cabinet minister in Suriname has been charged with 21 counts of fraud in relation with alleged corruption at the Ministry of Public Works.

At the beginning of the trial Wednesday against former minister of Public Works, Dewanand Balesar, prosecutor general Subhas Punwasi claimed that, among other things, the former official has committed fraud, provocation of criminal acts by his subordinates, complicity to swindle and participating in a criminal organisation to rip-off the state.

Punwasi told the court that the ex-minister had indicated to a co-worker that he needed money and ordered the said official to draft 22 fraudulent contracts for the clean up of fictitious garbage dumps in the capital Paramaribo. With the fraudulent contracts to 22 fictitious contractors the former minister collected over US$30,000 said the prosecutor.

He further disclosed that Balesar had also ordered employees from his department to do construction, renovations and electrification jobs at his private home. The bills for these jobs were paid through allegedly fraudulent invoices by the Ministry of Public Works. The home improvement has cost the state US$34,000.

Before the tribunal of the Court of Justice, a co-worker gave evidence that she drew up the fraudulent receipts under pressure from her superiors. The trial will resume in early May, when several other witnesses will give evidence.

The ex-minister was stripped of his immunity by the National Assembly in August 2005 to allow the prosecutor to indict him. After he was stripped of his immunity he stepped down voluntarily.

Under Surinamese law, top government officials, including Cabinet ministers, can only be prosecuted for crimes committed while they were in office if parliament strips their immunity.

Besides the ex-minister, 15 other suspects are being tried before a regular court. In these cases the judge will deliver a verdict on April 13.

The New Front government led by President Ronald Venetiaan, which came into office in May 2000 and was re-elected in May 2005, has been rocked by several corruption scandals. In January 2006 trade minister Siegfried Gilds stepped down after the prosecutor named him the prime suspect in a money laundering investigation. Gilds is now standing trial before a criminal court.

Two weeks ago Minister of Transport, Communication and Tourism (TCT) Alice Amafo resigned after mounting pressure from opposition and coalition parties over alleged financial misconduct in her ministry.

The minister came under fire after a member of parliament presented receipts that the minister’s 30th birthday party in February was being financed with government funds. Her co-workers staged a lavish surprise birthday party for the former official and subsequently submitted receipts totaling US$13,000 to the Ministry of Finance to pay for the expenses.