Text and image Jason Pinas
PARAMARIBO — “She is no longer director. Wendy Jap-A-Joe is no longer director of the Telecommunications Authority of Suriname.” President-commissioner Emanuel Scheek emphasized this on Tuesday afternoon the True Time. Shortly before, he had been roughed up by Jap-A-Joe security guards whose contract had ended that same day.
Scheek was grabbed from behind and pushed back and forth by the bodyguards. Supervisory board members Joan Nibte and Orpheo Lamain were also pushed hard by security guards, after which the ex-director was escorted to her vehicle to drive away at high speed. “I’m really hurting and I think I will press charges against the men who attacked me like that,” Scheek said. Nibte also complained of pain. “My arm still hurts,” she said.
“I am really in pain and I think I will press charges against the men who attacked me like that”
Chairman of the Supervisory Board Emanuel Scheek
Minister’s letter ignored
Jap-A-Joe still refuses to transfer its duties to the supervisory board. A letter in which she was ordered to relinquish her position by Minister Raymond Landveld of Transport, Communications and Tourism was also unable to change her mind.
“I hereby inform you that your term of office as director of the Telecommunications Authority of Suriname, based on Presidential Resolution No 8191/21, expired on October 20. Now that your term of office has expired, the transfer of the administrative responsibilities entrusted to you must take place without delay,” reads a passage from the minister’s letter to Jap-A-Joe. However, she ignored this letter. She reportedly believes that only the president can fire her.
Door locked
When the supervisory board wanted to contact her on Tuesday afternoon to transfer leadership, she locked the door to the first floor of the building, which also prevented employees from leaving after work hours. “What the director is doing is taking hostages. I have to go pick up my children, but I can’t leave. My things are upstairs and the door is locked,” one of the employees complained. “I don’t know why she’s doing this. There are several colleagues upstairs who can’t leave,” another explained. Surrounded by a number of security guards, Jap-A-Joe finally opened the door. However, the situation escalated and turned into a physical confrontation.
Scheek describes the situation as a “political game”. “People may assume that the land is their property and that law and justice no longer apply. That is unacceptable.” The chairman of the commissioner points out that the law clearly states how the transfer of a director must take place after his term of office has ended.
Scheek is also annoyed that the police were called back on orders from ‘higher up’. “We have also tried to get clarity through the Public Prosecution Service, but that was also to no avail. So you see that in a country like Suriname you are apparently left to your fate. We do not want to take the law into our own hands, but we have suffered injuries.” It is not clear whether Jap-A-Joe will go to the office on Wednesday, nor what the council will do.
