SURINAME-Chief Justice warns that corruption hinders economic development.

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC -President of the Court of Justice, Iwan Rasulbaks, has told an international conference that corruption not only undermines the rule of law but also hinders Suriname’s economic development, increases crime, and erodes the trust of citizens and investors.

He told the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Center (IACCC) Anti-Corruption Congress that combating corruption also requires a fundamentally different method of investigation compared to traditional criminal cases.

The Congress heard that a well-functioning whistleblower system not only contributes to the detection of corruption but also has an important preventive effect.

“That this provides an impetus for awareness, accountability, and responsibility among the direct recipients of this pernicious phenomenon; namely, among public officials charged with combating corruption, but also among public officials who, for whatever reason, cannot resist the temptation to benefit themselves unlawfully and/or their inner circle, in exchange for serious harm to people and society,” said Rasulbaks.

The Chief Justice told the Congress that brought together domestic and international experts to deliver presentations on the fight against corruption from various perspectives that corruption leads to an unfair distribution of wealth, underdevelopment, increasing crime, and declining trust in the government.

He said that foreign investors and international organizations become hesitant when confidence in a country’s integrity declines.

Rasulbaks referred to international rankings, including Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index and the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index. He said that based on these organizations’ findings, Suriname still needs to take significant steps to strengthen the rule of law and combat corruption more effectively.

In contrast, he noted that countries like Singapore have grown into one of the least corrupt countries in the world through investments in strong institutions, transparency, and specialized anti-corruption measures.

The Chief Justice said that a corruption investigation rarely begins like a classic criminal investigation and that while traditional cases often revolve around witness statements, forensic evidence, or arrests in flagrante delicto, a corruption case usually starts with suspicious money flows, unusual bank transactions, complex tax structures, or unexplained wealth growth.

He said precisely for this reason, combating corruption requires a different way of thinking and investigating.

He said this means that the police, the Public Prosecution Service, and other investigative agencies must adapt their knowledge and working methods.

Rasulbaks said financial investigation, the analysis of corporate records and financial reports, tracking digital trails, and unraveling complex international structures are becoming increasingly important.

“In these areas, corruption investigations differ fundamentally from traditional investigations,” he told the Congress, emphasizing that countries that are successful in combating corruption invest not only in stricter legislation, but above all in strong institutions, specialized investigations, transparency, international cooperation, and good governance.

He said Suriname must also follow this direction to restore the trust of citizens, investors, and international partners and to enable sustainable economic development.

In his address to the Congress, Justice and Police Minister Harish Monorath said the fight against corruption cannot be won solely through investigation and prosecution.

“Corruption poses a serious threat to every democratic constitutional state and hinders the socio-economic development of our country,” Monorath said, noting that combating corruption is a shared responsibility of the government, the business community, civil society organizations, and citizens.

He told the Congress that an ethical governance culture is only possible when all segments of society fulfill their role within it. He disclosed that the government is working on a more robust and effective anti-corruption policy, with an emphasis on modernizing legislation, strengthening state institutions, and promoting integrity within the public sector.

According to Monorath, dozens of legislative proposals from the Ministry of Justice and Police are currently in preparation or under consideration. They are intended to further strengthen the rule of law.

Monorath said that Suriname bases its approach on the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), which provides an international framework for prevention, criminal prosecution, cooperation between countries, and the recovery of assets obtained through crime.

Monorath told the Congress that administrators bear a special responsibility to set a good example themselves and that integrity, transparency, and responsible leadership must be visible in the daily actions of the government.

“Integrity begins with personal responsibility. It is the choice we make, even when no one is watching,” he told the Congress, adding that Suriname can only achieve sustainable development if corruption is not normalized and citizens’ trust in the government and its institutions is strengthened.

The Congress aims to raise awareness within legal practice of the consequences of corruption for the rule of law and society. It is also intended to strengthen the cooperation between national and international partners in the fight against corruption.