Surinamese businessman Bidjai Parmessar, 43, was acquitted of all drug charges by a high court in The Hague, the Netherlands Monday, but he has been sentenced for money laundering.
Parmessar, who Surinamese and Dutch judicial authorities believed to be the biggest drug lord in Suriname, was arrested in 2005 in Paramaribo but, since the Surinamese-born businessman holds Dutch nationality, he was extradited to the Netherlands for prosecution.
In 2006 a court in Rotterdam sentenced him to a 10-year jail term for two cases of drug trafficking in 1995 and 2002. Parmessar was among others charged with allegedly leading a criminal organisation, drug trafficking, money-laundering and forgery.
The former owner of several casinos, liquor stores, car sales and money transfer offices in Paramaribo was accused of organising large cocaine shipments from Columbia to Suriname, which were eventually trafficked to Europe, especially to the Netherlands.
Over six years of investigations, including over 160,000 phone taps during the so-called ‘Ficus Operation’, which cost the Dutch judicial authorities around euros 7 million in 2005, have resulted in numerous arrests in Suriname and the Netherlands.
Owners and managers of the so-called Yokohama Group of Companies, which operates casinos, cambios, money transfer offices, car sales and liquor stores in Suriname, were suspected of belonging to a criminal organisation.
This organization allegedly smuggled enormous quantities of cocaine from Suriname to Holland and laundered the revenues through their companies in both countries. Several of the suspects were subsequently sentenced to serve time or community service.
In 2006, Parmessar appealed his sentence. The higher court dismissed the drug charges on Monday due to a lack of evidence, but stated that his involvement in the money-laundering scam has been established sufficiently and therefore sentenced him to a 4 year and 6 months prison term.
The accused, who was released in 2007 pending the hearing, has been ordered to report to the prison authorities to serve the remaining 8 months of the jail term.
Parmessar’s defence lawyers expressed satisfaction with the ruling, since the drug trafficking sentence by the lower court has now been dismissed. However, they said that the conviction related to money-laundering charges came about due to the scope and complexity of the case. They believe that the Court in the Hague does not understand the differences between the Surinamese and Dutch legal systems and as a result their client was sentenced to jail.
According to attorney Nico Meijering, his client would have never been sentenced in Suriname for his alleged involvement in the money-laundering scam.
The court has established that the businessman was involved in the laundering of euros 60,000 through a money transfer office in the Netherlands he had close ties with. Meijering also contends that even if Parmessar was the manager of the money transfer office in the Netherlands he could never have known about the illegal activities of his personnel since he was running his businesses from his offices in Paramaribo.
http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-5726--36-36--.html
Showing posts with label Suriname. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suriname. Show all posts
on Thursday, April 5, 2012
By Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
A former Suriname government minister was sentenced on Monday to serve a jail term for money-laundering. Siegfried Gilds, a former trade minister in the incumbent Venetiaan-administration, was also found guilty of bribing a witness and slapped with a cumulative jail term of 12 months for the two offences. He was found not guilty on the charge of being part of a criminal organisation.
Shortly after the verdict was read, Gilds, still claiming his innocence, told journalists he was "shocked" by the length of the sentence. Meanwhile, his attorneys have indicated that they will appeal the verdict. Gilds is the second ex-minister from the ruling New Front coalition led by President Ronald Venetiaan, who has been found guilty on criminal charges. On December 2008, former minister of Public Works, Dewanand Balesar was also slapped with a two-year jail term for corruption.
The court on Monday found that the ex-minister was guilty of laundering drug money on behalf of a relative in the Netherlands, by purchasing houses and developing real estate properties in Suriname between 2000-2005. That relative was sentenced in December 2005 to a two-year jail term on the same charges in the Netherlands.
Gilds' prosecution started in January 2006, when prosecutors here received information from the Dutch judicial authorities over his alleged involvement in money-laundering. According to the information that surfaced during the trial of his nephew in the Netherlands, the relative claimed that his uncle, Gilds, was his agent in Suriname and taking care of his financial and other businesses.
Ex-minister Gilds is chairman of the coalition Suriname Labour Party (SPA) and one of the four New Front leaders. He was appointed minister of Trade and Industry in September 2005, after the New Front coalition won the general elections of May 2005. In the previous cabinet (2000-2005) he held the post of minister of Justice and Police, while in the 80s and 90s he was appointed as minister of Labour and minister of Defence.
During his tenure as minister of Justice and Police, Gilds has strongly supported anti-money laundering activities of the government and championed anti-money laundering laws, which were passed in September 2002 by parliament.
Source: Caribbean Net News
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
A former Suriname government minister was sentenced on Monday to serve a jail term for money-laundering. Siegfried Gilds, a former trade minister in the incumbent Venetiaan-administration, was also found guilty of bribing a witness and slapped with a cumulative jail term of 12 months for the two offences. He was found not guilty on the charge of being part of a criminal organisation.
Shortly after the verdict was read, Gilds, still claiming his innocence, told journalists he was "shocked" by the length of the sentence. Meanwhile, his attorneys have indicated that they will appeal the verdict. Gilds is the second ex-minister from the ruling New Front coalition led by President Ronald Venetiaan, who has been found guilty on criminal charges. On December 2008, former minister of Public Works, Dewanand Balesar was also slapped with a two-year jail term for corruption.
The court on Monday found that the ex-minister was guilty of laundering drug money on behalf of a relative in the Netherlands, by purchasing houses and developing real estate properties in Suriname between 2000-2005. That relative was sentenced in December 2005 to a two-year jail term on the same charges in the Netherlands.
Gilds' prosecution started in January 2006, when prosecutors here received information from the Dutch judicial authorities over his alleged involvement in money-laundering. According to the information that surfaced during the trial of his nephew in the Netherlands, the relative claimed that his uncle, Gilds, was his agent in Suriname and taking care of his financial and other businesses.
Ex-minister Gilds is chairman of the coalition Suriname Labour Party (SPA) and one of the four New Front leaders. He was appointed minister of Trade and Industry in September 2005, after the New Front coalition won the general elections of May 2005. In the previous cabinet (2000-2005) he held the post of minister of Justice and Police, while in the 80s and 90s he was appointed as minister of Labour and minister of Defence.
During his tenure as minister of Justice and Police, Gilds has strongly supported anti-money laundering activities of the government and championed anti-money laundering laws, which were passed in September 2002 by parliament.
Source: Caribbean Net News
on Wednesday, January 10, 2007
PARAMARIBO, Suriname (CMC): A former Suriname Government minister is to appear in court next week on charges of money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation.
Siegfried Gilds, president of the coalition party, SPA, who served as Trade Minister, resigned his post in January last year, after he was formally accused of the crimes by the Office of the Prosecutor.
Gilds had also served as Minister of Justice and Police in the 2000-5 Ronald Venetiaan administration. He had strongly supported anti-money laundering activities of the govern-ment and championed anti-money laundering laws, which were passed in September 2002.
According to the charges, Gilds is accused of helping his nephew, who was later convicted of money laundering, to buy property in Suriname and start up a business. Another person, a popular singer, was jailed for 18 months.
Relieved
During the trial, the convicted relative claimed that Gilds was his agent in Suriname handling his financial affairs.
But speaking with reporters on Monday, Gilds said he was relieved that the case would finally begin in the courts on January 15.
"It was a torment," he said, criticising Prosecutor-General Subhas Punwasi whom he said had been making public comments about the case in the media.
"Even before the judge has passed sentence, it is as if I was already convicted. And that was incorrect," said Gilds, the third Cabinet Minister who has been forced to resign and stand trial for criminal offences since the New-Front coalition first came into power in 2000.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070110/carib/carib4.html
Siegfried Gilds, president of the coalition party, SPA, who served as Trade Minister, resigned his post in January last year, after he was formally accused of the crimes by the Office of the Prosecutor.
Gilds had also served as Minister of Justice and Police in the 2000-5 Ronald Venetiaan administration. He had strongly supported anti-money laundering activities of the govern-ment and championed anti-money laundering laws, which were passed in September 2002.
According to the charges, Gilds is accused of helping his nephew, who was later convicted of money laundering, to buy property in Suriname and start up a business. Another person, a popular singer, was jailed for 18 months.
Relieved
During the trial, the convicted relative claimed that Gilds was his agent in Suriname handling his financial affairs.
But speaking with reporters on Monday, Gilds said he was relieved that the case would finally begin in the courts on January 15.
"It was a torment," he said, criticising Prosecutor-General Subhas Punwasi whom he said had been making public comments about the case in the media.
"Even before the judge has passed sentence, it is as if I was already convicted. And that was incorrect," said Gilds, the third Cabinet Minister who has been forced to resign and stand trial for criminal offences since the New-Front coalition first came into power in 2000.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070110/carib/carib4.html
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