CEOAFRICA gathered that the son of Suriname's president, Dino Bouterse has been charged by the United States with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation.

According to source, Dino Bouterse was allegedly paid millions of dollars to provide a base and weapons for Hezbollah fighters.

The Shia militants were planning attacks on the US and the Netherlands, Suriname's former colonial ruler, US prosecutors say.

The son of President Desi Bouterse was extradited from Panama in August.

He had already been charged with trying to smuggle cocaine and weapons into the United States.

Reports say that Mr Bouterse could be sentenced to life in jail for the drugs and weapons smuggling charges and to up to 15 years for the terrorism-related accusations.

The Suriname president's son insists he is innocent, but his lawyers have not yet reacted to the latest charges.

The US authorities say they have recorded meetings of Mr Bouterse with undercover agents and informants posing as Hezbollah operatives in Panama and in Greece.

 His father, Desi Bouterse, a former coup leader, was elected president of Suriname in 2010.

He was accused of numerous human rights violations in the 1980s but was given immunity by parliament in 2012.

In 2000, President Bouterse was himself convicted in absentia of drug trafficking by a court in the Netherlands.

He has always denied the charges.