As the police continue to look into the allegation of four soldiers robbing a Brazilian mining camp in Region One last week, some residents of Port Kaituma are questioning what became of an investigation into similar allegations made in October 2000 against a mining official, police and soldiers by Amerindians in the same region.
“We would like to know what happened to that investigation,” Vice-Chairman of the Neighbour-hood Democratic Council (NDC) in Port Kaituma Richard Allen told Stabroek News recently. It was alleged that “Amerindians were not only robbed but some of them were assaulted and up to now we can’t know anything about that investigation.”
That alleged robbery had taken place on October 19, 2000 at a mining camp in Pipiani, Barima/Waini (Region One).
According to Peters, he and several other persons had given statements to officials of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) who had visited the area, and while an investigation was promised residents heard nothing of the outcome.
“People lost a lot, and since this recent robbery and the big investigation residents are asking about the robbery back then and questioning why there was not such an investigation,” Peters, who was a councillor on the NDC at the time, said.
On Wednesday, the Guyana Defence Force issued a press release in which it announced that it had handed over an officer and three privates to the police following an allegation that they had robbed a mining camp at Five Star in Region One. The release had said that members of a GDF investigative team, who had received reports about a robbery, intercepted the patrol of one officer and three privates and found a quantity of gold and cash on them.
Stabroek News was told that the patrol had visited the mining camp and demanded documents from the miners. When these could not be produced, the soldiers allegedly demanded three pennyweights of gold from each of the 12 miners. The general manager of the camp later visited Port Kaituma and reported the incident to the police in that village.
Since the report was made, detectives have travelled to the area to conduct further investigations and they have since indicated that the miners said they wanted no further action. However, a senior government official has reportedly instructed that the police officers remain in the area and ensure that the miners are brought out to testify against the accused ranks.
President of the Guyana Gold & Diamond Miners Association (GG&DMA) Edward Shields said he was not surprised that the miners indicated that they wanted no further action. He told Stabroek News that there had been several allegations of mostly Brazilian miners being robbed by the armed forces, but this was the first time a report had actually been made to the police and evidence found. He said because some of the miners were illegal they were afraid to take the matter further.
Rogue operation
Peters has questioned why quick action could not have been taken when the miners had made the allegation back in 2000. “That is the question everybody is asking,” he said.
On November 19, 2000 Stabroek News had reported that there was an unauthorized raid of gold miners at Pipiani involving a GGMC supervisor, a policeman and army personnel where the victims were brutalized and their gold seized.
Dismissals were recommended following an investigation and then chairman of the GGMC Robeson Benn had written to Prime Minister Sam Hinds informing him that the incident had occurred on October 19 but the GGMC had only been informed on October 30, 2000.
It was estimated then that approximately 36 ounces of gold had been seized during the raid, but the mines supervisor deposited only five ounces and disappeared shortly after.
However, Peters told Stabroek News that 100 ounces of gold were stolen from the miners at that time and he said he had recognised the police officer, who was a corporal at the time.
“He was surprised to see me and I call he out by name and ask he what going on and he said that the mining officer said that the people were mining illegal so they come to raid,” Peters said, adding that he was not mining at the time but had visited the area.
He said that shortly after the robbery the officer was transferred out of the area. He returned for a visit last year and it was observed that he was a sergeant.
Reports were that there was a ‘gold shout’ in the area not long before the incident when over 50 pounds of gold were found in a short period of time. The shout attracted some 500 persons, most of them from the Matthew’s Ridge/Port Kaituma area.
It was stated that the raiding party arrived at the camp ground on the night of October 19, 2000. The party comprised a mines officer, a police officer and a non-commissioned GDF officer along with two privates.
The miners were roughly roused from their rest and placed in line to be searched. Some were cursed, dealt blows and had weapons stuck in their faces.
Reports stated that the party rounded up everyone from their camps and demanded all the gold.
It was pointed out that none of the gold was weighed, sealed or documented as per owner. The raid lasted until 11pm and the raiding party slept at the camp ground and departed around 7.30 am the following day.
Before the party left the miners asked about their gold, but this was met with threats and foul language. The GDF personnel had pulled their camouflage netting over their faces to avoid recognition.
The police officer had reportedly told Benn and others who had gone into the area to investigate that only five ounces of gold were seized. It was found that the miners were working illegally since the land was located in a closed area.
Stabroek News had reported in 2000 that following the robbery, the miners had drafted a petition to President Bharrat Jagdeo, Prime Minister Hinds and the GGMC informing them about the incident with details of who had lost gold and the amounts.
It was later reported that the mines supervisor was transferred from his post in the interior and others were taken out of the line of action.
According to information received, a mines officer had reported to the supervisor that he had received reports of illegal mining in the area but when he went to the location he was threatened and chased away. The supervisor then went on the raid with no notification or permission being sought from the GGMC headquarters in George-town. At that time Stabroek News had reported that the GGMC had been beset by corrupt activities for years and management had seldom approved officers going into the interior because of the suspicion of rampant corruption.
Shields had said then that while his association would never condone illegal mining, proper procedures were not followed during the raid.
The proper process would have been to detain the gold if it was found that the miners were mining illegally. The gold would have then been handed over to the state if the area was determined to be state property or to the medium-scale licensee of the land.
Peters said he has since been told that the mining supervisor had crossed the border to Brazil and was now living in London.
“Even if the miners were mining illegal they had a right to investigate because look now the Brazilian miners don’t appear to have the permits to mine in the area but a full investigation is being carried out,” Peters pointed out. He said if an investigation had indeed been carried out, those affected were not satisfied because the outcome had never been relayed to them.
