January 22, 1999
Reports that false currency was being sold on the X-change markets led to raids by the police on dealers in this sector during the past week. Reports state that false bills of NF1000 and US 100 were being sold by cambios and on the streets by the black market vendors. Police have successfully driven most of the black market off the streets and the cambios have reported that they are doing better business now. This has also resulted in a drop in rates for the dollar that is at present being sold for 770 compared to last week when it was 850. According to one cambio holder it is the black market vendors that raise the rates of the currency. He stated that with less competition from that area the rates can be held stable.
President Fidel Castro has authorized for 52 doctors to be sent to Suriname to work in areas where Suriname doctors are not stationed at the expense of Cuba. This should be seen as a friendly service on the part of President Castro to the Suriname people. This was reported by Andy Rusland from the President's Cabinet.
According to the Dutch Public Prosecutor Suriname's Advisor of State, Desi Bouterse, can get a jail sentence of 8-16 years if he was found guilty in the case that Holland will begin against him on March 22. The Dutch newspaper "NRC Handel's Blad" reported that the Dutch justice department has enough evidence to prove that Bouterse is the leader of the Suriname Drugs Cartel. These accusations were denied by both Desi Bouterse and President Wijdenbosch. Apart from drug-involvement the Dutch will also attempt to prove that Bouterse and Henk Goedschalk, President of the Central Bank of Suriname, were receiving bribes from Dutch companies for contracts to deliver food stuff to Suriname. They have reason to believe that Goedschalk was given an amount of NF 1,000,000.00 and Bouterse an amount of NF 115.000.00. These amounts were paid to them through the Insulaire Trading Company in Amsterdam and the Firm of Wagenaar-Begro in North Scharwoude. This information was passed on to the justice department by the Dutch detective F.J de Boer who had received the information from the Tax Department.
The Court of Justice will meet with the Lawyers over the advice for the 10 candidate-judges who were presented by the Minister of Justice and Police Mr Paul Sjak Sjie. Director of Justice Tjung Agnie when asked to reveal the names of the candidates refused to do so stating that this was a confidential matter. Dean of the Order of Barristers Geetapersad Gangaram Panday has reported that not all candidates were qualified for the possitions. Even though the regulation states that the government must ask advice of the Court before appointing candidates the government is not compelled to stick to that advice.