The recent invasion of a Region Seven gold mining camp was not a case of robbery, according to Divisional Commander Senior Superintendent Ravindradat Budhram, who said investigators will be pursuing reports that it stemmed from a land dispute.
Budhram yesterday clarified that the mining camp is located 18 miles from Puruni.
He said ranks were currently at the location taking statements and that the police were looking to get the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) involved in the investigation as there are reports that the area where the camp is located is disputed property.
According to the commander, what occurred was no robbery and no shots were fired.
On Sunday around noon Brazilian miner Raimundo Malhaeo was beaten by gunmen in what is believed to be an attempt to scare him and his brother off the land which has been the subject of a dispute for some time now. Malhaeo sustained a small wound to the head.
Stabroek News was made to understand that six gunmen and three known businessmen linked to the mining industry stormed the camp around noon.
Malhaeo who is the brother of the camp owner was in charge when the group stormed in and demanded gold, a source close to the camp owner said.
The source said that when Malhaeo said there was no gold, he was beaten about the body and gun butted to his head.
The gunmen, the source alleged, then threatened to killed Malhaeo and the other workers if they were still there when the group returned.
According to the source, the workers at the camp said they recognized the three businessmen and this information was expected to be passed on to the police.
Camp owner Nide Carneiro Malhaeo was not at the camp at the time. It was explained that he had bought four mining blocks for $60 million in the Puruni area but only received paperwork for one.
It was said the miner was on the block that he legally owned but that one of the businessmen had apparently sold the block to another person.
The camp owner expressed belief that the attack was to scare him off, the source said.
A relative of one of the three businessmen implicated has strongly denied that he was at that location at the time of the alleged invasion.
The woman who prefers to remain unnamed told Stabroek News yesterday that her brother was at a church service at Full Gospel Church at Bartica at the time.
The woman maintained that the pastor of the church along with members can confirm this.
The woman expressed certainty that he is being targeted by a well-known businessman who is trying to use the issues surrounding the mining camp that was attacked to his advantage.
She said that this well-known businessman has no affiliations with that mining camp. According to the woman, police have not expressed an interest in her brother but if they do he will be more than willing to cooperate.
