Assembly member Mahinder Jogi (VHP) says he is unfazed by allegations from colleague Melvin Bouva (NDP) regarding the possible allocation of land in his name. This issue has sparked considerable debate, especially on social media, where Jogi’s name is mentioned in connection with the acquisition of a 22-hectare piece of land in Saramacca.
Jogi states that he applied for the land on behalf of citizens who will build homes there. This was done in consultation with the government. He denies that the 22 hectares would be for him personally. Speaking to Radio ABC, the VHP leader emphasized that Bouva’s recent removal from the National Assembly meeting had nothing to do with keeping the issue out of the public eye.
Bouva had indicated before his speaking turn that he would make a revelation. Jogi points to the course of the meeting itself, where his colleague crossed the line and was removed by the presiding officer. Bouva reportedly ignored warnings from Parliament Speaker Marinus Bee and even mocked him, according to Jogi.
Jogi characterizes Bouva’s behavior as a form of damage control for his conduct in the Assembly hall. He believes that the NDP has a modus operandi of causing constant obstruction shortly before elections.
Documents presented by Bouva show that Jogi submitted a petition to Minister Dinotha Vorswijk of Land Policy and Forestry Management (GBB) to process the land application for 100 citizens in Saramacca. Vorswijk has issued letters of intent to these citizens, allowing them to obtain land for building and residence purposes. The land is part of a total plot of 22 hectares.
According to Jogi, Bouva acted in bad faith during the Assembly session, attempting to give the issue a different twist. “In yesterday’s session, there was no connection to what he posted on social media,” Jogi said. He described it as a simple request to allocate building plots to citizens in his role as a representative.
