The Region Seven Village of Jawalla says it has been awarded $20m damages against a miner and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.
A release from the village via the law firm Hughes, Fields and Stoby follows:
On the 30th day of January 2023 the Honourable Justice Sandil Kissoon awarded the Jawalla Village Council damages in the sum of ten million dollars for trespass to the Village’s land and ten million dollars against the GGMC, James Kwakowsky and Timna Mining jointly for breaches of the provisions of the Amerindian Act.
Justice Kissoon further granted a permanent injunction against James Kwakowsky Timna Mining and GGMC from mining and or permitting mining on the Village lands
Costs were awarded in favour of Jawalla Village Council in the sum of one million dollars.
Jawalla is an Akawaio Community on the Mazaruni River.
The judgment stemmed from mining permission granted by the GGMC to James Kwakowsky and Timna Mining to conduct mining activities in the Mazaruni river which passes through the Jawala Village Lands.
Despite several requests from the Jawalla Village Council for the miners and GGMC to desist from mining or granting permission to mine within their village lands, the GGMC and the miner ignored the several demands and continued to grant permission to mine within the Village lands.
The Jawalla Village Council was represented by Jed Vasconcellos of Hughes Fields and Stoby and the defendants were represented by Roysdale Forde S.C.