The French delegation was welcomed by Acting Attorney General Garcia Paragsingh on Wednesday at the Attorney General’s Office. Nicolas de Lacoste, the French ambassador, the “Deputy Manager” of the French anti-corruption agency, and the magistrate in charge of the department of international affairs and the training of judicial and prosecutorial staff at the French Magistrates Training Institute made up the delegation. Rolinne Gravenbeek, Coordinator of the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Public Prosecution Service, Inspector Nijman, Director of the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Surinamese Police Corps, and experts from the Surinamese Ministry of Justice and Police were also present at the meeting.
The visit’s goal was to launch a partnership with the Surinamese Ministry of Justice to teach and workshop Surinamese actors in anti-corruption techniques while also assessing their needs and expectations. The delegation also learned about the Public Prosecution Service’s organization, functions, and obstacles in detecting and prosecuting corruption, as well as its relationship to the police.
Furthermore examined were the specialist offices at the Public Prosecution Service, the training programs for prosecution officers, and the public prosecutors’ preliminary and intermediate training programs. It was also stated that Suriname’s current legal framework provides adequate room for prosecuting people who engage in various types of corruption.
The French delegation provided details on their training programs and the specialized French prosecution agency for difficult and unique cases, while the Surinamese group responded to inquiries about how corruption investigations have so far begun.
The Public Prosecution Service considers the meeting to have been successful.
