A Surinamese newspaper has refused to comply with President Chandrikapersad Santokhi’s demand to remove a photo from its website.
The cover of the book features a photo of President Santokhi, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Minister Parmanand Sewdien, and entrepreneur Vijay Kirpalani.
The contentious image is on the cover of a book by Dutch entrepreneur Gerard van den Bergh, exposing alleged corruption at the highest levels of the government.
President Santokhi takes action
President Santokhi has taken the issue a step further by initiating legal actions against the book’s publisher and a local bookstore, urging the immediate withdrawal of the book titled “Corruption at the Highest Level.”
Defending freedom of expression
The newspaper has publicly rejected President Santokhi’s demand, likening it to censorship.
Reports are that other local and foreign media that have also published the image have so far not received a notice to remove the photo.
