Five serving members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have been charged and are to face court martial proceedings for allegedly robbing miners in the Cuyuni mining district.
The GDF last evening announced that it had charged an officer and four other ranks under military law based on “sufficient evidence” from an ongoing investigation into recent attacks. With the cooperation of miners, it said, the officer and ranks “were positively identified as being present and entering the mining camps.”
The actions of the officer and ranks, who are now detained in Camp Ayanganna, are being investigated by both the army and the Guyana Police Force.
The announcement of the detentions came a day after Guyana Defence Force Chief of Staff, Commodore Gary Best met a group of miners at the Julian Ross Landing in the Cuyuni, Region Seven, where it was alleged that soldiers were menacing and robbing mining camps. The army had earlier said that the miners and their support staff in the community have cooperated with the GDF in its investigations to the extent that some had identified a GDF officer and soldiers as having been at the Julian Ross Landing, where they allegedly conducted criminal acts.
According to a GDF statement issued last evening, the men were escorted by GDF investigators and taken to Base Camp Ayanganna, where they were charged with military offences. “They appeared before a commanding officer and were remanded for a summary of evidence with a view to court martial proceedings,” it explained.
On Friday, the army said Best visited Julian Ross Landing and Guyana Goldfields at Aurora and in discussions with the miners he emphasised the need for the miners to come forward and identify the soldiers who allegedly engaged in the acts.
“Once we have evidence that the soldiers came here and went to the backdam and robbed the miners, I will ensure that they are charged and put before the court; and if they have to end up in prison, then they will end up in prison,” he was quoted as saying. “A crime is a crime,” he added.
The army said that he told the group of Guyanese and Brazilian miners that if they did not act to identify the men and have them brought to justice, it could lead to a continuation of such behaviour.
Best, the army noted, reassured the miners that providing information against the wrong-doers would not lead to any form of retribution as the alleged perpetrators, if found culpable, would no longer be posted to that area since they would be locked away.
Best’s visits came a day after he issued a public warning that soldiers have no authority to enforce mining laws, in wake of recent allegations of soldiers robbing mining camps in the country’s interior.
In a ‘Notice to all miners’, published in Thursday’s newspapers, Best, who is also the Chairman of the Joint Services Coordinating Council categorically, stated: “Officers and soldiers of the GDF are not authorised to conduct any mining operations, request to see and inspect any mining licenses or intermeddle into mining activities except in the presence of a GGMC Mining Officer.” It added that members of the mining community therefore must not submit themselves to any actions by officers and soldiers acting alone with respect to the enforcement of laws governing mining in Guyana.
Further, it said, no Guyana Police Force officer, GDF officer or soldier is authorised to enforce the mining laws of the country either together or with other members of the respective forces or separately without the presence of a GGMC Mining Officer.
“The Chief of Staff wishes to make it clear that the joint services stand ready to work with the mining community to make their operational environment safe and peaceful,” the notice said.
The army also commended the efforts of some miners to report illegal activities and expressed hope that others will come forward.
