Bouterse nephew held in illegal weapons probe

(De Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – KB, a nephew of President Bouterse, has been arrested by police. He is suspected of illegal weapons possession and intimidation. The suspect has been arrested in connection with the investigation into the recent shooting death of a gold miner at Maripaston. DWT has learned that KB allegedly gave the order to personnel of Mozart Security to shoot at gold miners. A 26-year-old man was fatally shot. Porknockers (small-scale gold miners) and other individuals then went on a rampage and burned down some stores in the miners’ camp. Some stores were also looted and the Chinese shopkeepers were threatened. According to the state mining company Grassalco, some 1500 people are in the Maripaston area, where the company now has concession rights. Grassalco and three groups of miners that were active in the concession area have signed agreements in the meantime.