President Simons seeks clarification from minister Monorath over criminal complaint in TAS case

Simons addressed the developments surrounding TAS on Saturday, November 7, 2026, on Faried Pierkhan’s programme Kal Aaj Aur Kal. According to the president, the government had already been monitoring the situation at the authority before the Raad van Commissarissen (RvC, Supervisory Board) filed a criminal complaint against Monorath and former TAS director Wendy Jap-A-Joe.

As is also evident from earlier reporting on President Simons’ response, the head of state considers the matter particularly serious.

“I am not going to mislead society any further. It is quite serious,” Simons stated.

The criminal complaint is related to an employment agreement signed in 2021 by Monorath, then president-commissioner of TAS, and Jap-A-Joe. The current RvC suspects that legal procedures were not followed in the creation of this agreement and that there may have been unlawful financial favouritism.

The board has requested the prosecutor-general to conduct an independent criminal investigation. The allegations have not yet been established in criminal proceedings.

President first wants an explanation from Monorath

In response to the criminal complaint, Simons requested information about the circumstances and findings underlying the complaint. She wants to discuss the matter personally with Monorath after his return. According to her, that meeting should take place next week.

Although the president wants to await the investigation and any prosecution decisions by the Openbaar Ministerie (Public Prosecution Service), she believes the government must also assess for itself what administrative consequences the matter may have.

“Regardless of what the Openbaar Ministerie does, this is a serious matter that we are discussing now,” Simons said.

The president confirmed that the matter has already been discussed within the coalition. Earlier questions in De Nationale Assemblée (Suriname’s parliament) about the course of events at TAS also played a role. According to her, the criminal complaint has further intensified the situation.

“Because you cannot simply overlook these kinds of matters,” the head of state stressed.

Simons described the developments as unfortunate and indicated that the government must deal carefully with the situation that has arisen.

2021 employment agreement under scrutiny

Central to the criminal complaint is the 2021 employment agreement, which, according to the current RvC, includes financial and employment-law provisions for which the required legal approval may not have been obtained.

Key News previously reported on the request by the RvC of TAS for a criminal investigation into Monorath and Jap-A-Joe. The board suspects that legal regulations were violated when the agreement was concluded.

Under the legal provisions, the employment conditions of the TAS director must be determined by the responsible minister, after the RvC has been heard and the Raad van Ministers has granted approval.

The current RvC states that no evidence was found in the documents examined that this procedure was followed for the 2021 agreement. The board therefore also wants an investigation into what financial obligations for TAS resulted from the agreement.

Monorath previously argued that he was authorised at the time to sign the employment agreement. The criminal complaint relates to his former position as president-commissioner of TAS and not to his current duties as minister.

Court upheld earlier ruling on TAS management

The disputed agreement also played a role in the legal proceedings concerning Jap-A-Joe’s position as director of TAS.

The Hof van Justitie upheld the earlier preliminary injunction ruling by the district court on October 30. This maintained that Jap-A-Joe’s term of appointment had expired on October 19, 2026, and that the RvC has exercised the management of TAS since October 20.

The final legal validity of the employment agreement still has to be decided in proceedings on the merits.

President Simons stated that she had initially expected the legal proceedings to provide more clarity. However, the filing of the criminal complaint has, according to her, created a new situation that also requires administrative attention.

It is not yet clear whether the developments will have consequences for Monorath’s ministerial post. The president has not announced any concrete measures and first wants to hold the conversation with the minister before considering further steps.