Grassalco case file back with police, investigation into more than 4 kilos of gold continues

The Public Prosecution Service has again provided clarity on the status of the gold theft at Grassalco. According to the OM, the case file is currently with the police, where additional investigation is being carried out. Which specific investigative actions still need to take place and when the case file will be reviewed again have not been disclosed.

The statement follows repeated questions in recent months about the progress of the investigation. The case received considerable public attention because of the scale of the theft and the circumstances under which the gold disappeared from the company safe.

It was previously announced that the police case file had been forwarded to the OM on 26 January 2026. Minister Harish Monorath of Justice and Security stated in August before De Nationale Assemblée (Suriname’s parliament) that he had not yet received further information about the next steps. The latest statement confirms that the case file is once again with the police for further investigation.

Gold theft at Grassalco came to light in October 2025

The case began on 13 October 2025, when Grassalco discovered that more than four kilograms of raw gold had disappeared from the state-owned company’s safe. Instead of the original gold, material classified as fake gold was found. The value of the missing precious metal was estimated at the time at more than 400,000 US dollars.

According to earlier reporting by Key News on the missing gold stock at Grassalco, no signs of forced entry were found during the initial checks. This gave rise to the suspicion that the theft may have been committed by someone with access to the safe. However, that suspicion is not an established conclusion of the criminal investigation.

Internal investigation and police report

Following the discovery, Grassalco’s management at the time launched an internal investigation. Former president-director Wesley Rozenhout stated at the time that, after completing the internal investigation, he had informed President Jennifer Simons about the matter on 29 October.

The official police report was filed at the end of October 2025. The case was then handed over to the investigative authorities. According to earlier statements by management, access to the safe was restricted to authorised staff members. The investigation was intended, among other things, to determine how the gold could disappear and how the replacement material ended up in the safe.

More than a year after the discovery of the missing gold, clarity on the perpetrators remains absent.

Minister intervened after disappearance of gold

The disappearance also had consequences for Grassalco’s internal procedures. Minister David Abiamofo of Natural Resources announced in December 2025 that the state-owned company would temporarily no longer be allowed to accept physical gold payments while the investigation was ongoing.

According to the minister, Grassalco received income in gold from certain agreements. To limit new risks, the gold content had to be determined and the equivalent value was henceforth to be transferred to the company through financial payment. The minister also confirmed that several employees from the departments involved had been questioned by the police.

Political questions about progress of Grassalco investigation

The handling of the case also led to questions in De Nationale Assemblée. Parliamentarians wanted to know why no visible breakthrough had been achieved after months of investigation. They pointed to the importance of a careful and expeditious investigation, particularly because it concerns a state-owned company and a substantial quantity of gold.

In August, Minister Monorath stated that the case file had been with the OM since January. The new update from the OM makes clear that the investigation is continuing with the police. Whether new leads have been found or additional interviews are taking place has not been disclosed.

No clarity yet on possible suspects

As far as the publicly released information shows, no arrest in connection with this specific gold theft has yet been announced. It is also unclear whether the additional investigation is focusing on possible involvement of employees, the administration of the gold stock or security procedures.

The Public Prosecution Service of Suriname is responsible for criminal prosecution and directs criminal investigations. The fact that the case file is again with the police does not automatically mean that the investigation has stalled. Additional investigative actions may be needed before a decision is made on any prosecution.

Financial damage and trust in state-owned company

The case also raises questions about controls over valuable assets within state-owned companies. At a company active in the mining sector, reliable stock administration, controlled access to storage locations and regular verification of gold stocks are of great importance.

The disappearance of an amount of gold with an estimated value of more than 400,000 US dollars is not only a financial issue. The way in which such a disappearance became possible is also relevant to confidence in management and oversight within Grassalco.

Investigation into missing gold continues

With its latest statement, the OM confirms that the Grassalco case is still under consideration. No concrete deadline has been given for completion of the additional police investigation. Nor has it been indicated when a decision on possible prosecution is expected.

For now, important questions remain unanswered: who removed the gold from the safe, how was it replaced with fake gold, and where is the missing stock currently located? The further police investigation will have to determine whether these questions can be answered and whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute suspects criminally.