Attorney Gerold Sewcharan, acting on behalf of the Telecommunicatie Autoriteit Suriname (TAS), expects former director Wendy Jap-A-Joe to appeal against the court rulings of Monday, October 26, 2026.
Sewcharan told journalists after the court cases that he is taking into account further legal steps by Jap-A-Joe. According to him, it is customary in legal practice for attorneys to advise their clients to appeal when they have been unsuccessful.
At the same time, the attorney stressed that TAS has a strong legal position, in his view. He does not rule out further proceedings, but for the time being sees no reason to doubt the legal position of the telecommunications authority.
Jap-A-Joe may no longer act on behalf of TAS with immediate effect
In the case brought by TAS against Jap-A-Joe, the court granted all claims. One of the most important decisions is that Jap-A-Joe may no longer carry out any actions on behalf of the organisation with immediate effect.
She is also prohibited from entering the TAS building. If she is inside the building, the Raad van Commissarissen (RvC, Supervisory Board) may, according to Sewcharan, enforce the judgment with the assistance of the police.
Furthermore, Jap-A-Joe must hand over TAS’s company assets to the RvC within 24 hours. These concern the resources and information the board needs to effectively exercise the management of the telecommunications authority.
According to Sewcharan, the court has thus confirmed that the RvC has been authorised to manage TAS since October 20, 2026.
Penalty payments may rise to millions
To enforce compliance with the judgment, the court has also imposed penalty payments. According to the attorney, these may amount to a maximum of SRD 1 million per item, with a maximum of twice SRD 1 million.
However, the penalty payments are not automatically due at the time of the ruling. Sewcharan explained that the judgment must first be officially served on Jap-A-Joe by a bailiff.
TAS will therefore request the written judgment as soon as possible, study it and then engage a bailiff. According to the attorney, the penalty payments can only begin to accrue after the required service if Jap-A-Joe fails to meet the obligations imposed.
All claims by Jap-A-Joe dismissed
In addition to the case concerning the handover, the court also ruled in the proceedings initiated by Jap-A-Joe herself.
One of the cases concerned a claim against the Staat Suriname (the State of Suriname) and the RvC members in their capacity as commissioners. This claim was also dismissed.
In addition, Jap-A-Joe was unsuccessful in the proceedings she had brought personally against RvC members following statements she considered insulting.
This means that all three proceedings were decided in favour of TAS and the RvC members involved.
Employment contract provides no basis for the time being
Jap-A-Joe’s employment contract was also discussed during the court cases. This agreement played an important role in the dispute over whether she could remain in office as director after the expiry of her term of appointment.
According to Sewcharan, the court suspended the effect of the agreement. As a result, Jap-A-Joe cannot for the time being invoke the contract in order to continue exercising the management of TAS.
The attorney could not yet say whether the agreement itself is legally valid and what legal consequences it may have for those involved in drafting and signing it.
For that, he first wants to study the court’s full reasoning in the written judgment.
Court provides clarity on management
The conflict over TAS’s leadership has led to major tensions in recent days. After Jap-A-Joe’s term of appointment expired, the RvC took the position that the board had been tasked with managing the organisation from October 20.
Jap-A-Joe disputed this course of events. Attempts to transfer leadership proceeded with difficulty and ultimately led to several court cases.
According to Sewcharan, the court rulings have now brought clarity regarding the administrative powers within TAS.
“There is now clarity about TAS’s legal position with regard to its management. That is very important,” the attorney said.
He stressed that Suriname is a democratic constitutional state in which disputes are ultimately settled by the court.
Although Sewcharan expects Jap-A-Joe to continue the legal battle through an appeal, this does not change the immediate enforceability of the judgments, according to him. The RvC can therefore begin implementing the court decisions and taking over the actual management of TAS.
