Suriname’s Ex-Finance Minister missing, believed to be hiding in Guyana

The newly elected government of Suriname is searching for the former Finance Minister who is being investigated for alleged crimes against that country’s Central Bank. Gillmore Hoefdraad, Finance Minister under the recently ousted government of Desi Bouterse, is believed to have crossed into Guyana, sources told Kaieteur News.

Suriname’s ex-Finance Minister, Gillmore Hoefdraad, may have skipped to Guyana.

According to Suriname daily newspaper, De Ware Tijd, Hoefdraad has been identified as a suspect in the criminal investigation into malpractices allegedly committed at the Central Bank of Suriname (CBS) by the then governor Robert van Trikt. The Public Prosecution Service wants to hear from the former minister in the ongoing investigation.

At the beginning of this week, the Attorney General, Roy Baidjnath-Panday, sent a motion to Parliament for Hoefdraad to be charged. An earlier attempt in May was struck down when the then coalition, led by Bouterse, voted against granting the claim. Hoefdraad has reportedly been informed by Parliament that a renewed action has been filed against him.

De Ware Tijd reported yesterday that bailiffs were unable to serve the former minister summons since he was not found at his address. The Parliament is preparing to deal with the matter again next week.

Yesterday, Guyana’s Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan did not respond to questions about whether authorities would have been alerted to the former minister likely being illegally in Guyana; other senior security officials in Guyana said yesterday that they are unaware of the matter.

Guyana’s border with Suriname has been problematic when it comes to monitoring illegal crossing, whether movement of persons or illicit trade. There have been reported cases of breaches even as Guyana has closed its borders for four months now as part of the national measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.