Five year ban for miners accused of wrecking Mahdia road
SN, Friday, January 4th 2008
Thirteen miners who are currently facing charges for dredging and
destroying several stretches of road and a potable water supply system
in Region Eight will not be issued mining privileges, sold permits or
be registered to work in any mining district, the Guyana Geology and
Mines Commission (GGMC) says.
The Commission recently made public the order which became effective
from October 16 and which would last for a period of five years.
Trevor Calder, Richard Calder, Steve Caesar, Romel Hamilton, Denzil
Tappin, Paul Young, Molly Nieuenkerk, Margaret Nieuenkerk, Orin Wilson,
Prakash Singh, Stallin Halley, Bruan Angus and Linden Charles are the
delinquent miners listed in a GGMC advertisement which appeared in
yesterday's Stabroek News. GGMC Commissioner William Woolford confirmed
that they were the ones deemed responsible for the damage to the road
and pipelines.
The damaged pipelines constituted the distribution system of the $50M
Salbora Water Project. In addition to the pipelines which supplied
potable water to surrounding communities with about 1,200 people, the
gold and diamond miners also destroyed several stretches of the Mahdia
road.
Woolford, in an interview with Stabroek News yesterday, said the
miners' equipment was also seized and that they face a charge of damage
to public property. He said the Commission was also looking to recover
the cost of the road from the miners, who are to appear in court
mid-month. Woolford said too that the Commission intends to apply the
full force of the law against the errant miners, some of whom, he said,
were prominent businessmen and women in Mahdia. The GGMC has since
handed over an undisclosed sum of money to the Guyana Water
Incorporated to effect repairs to the ruptured Salbora water system.
Following a visit by a ministerial team to Region Eight
(Potaro/Siparuni) in August, Transport and Hydraulics Minister Robeson
Benn had expressed shock at mining damage in the area and miners were
given 48 hours to move out for an assessment of the situation.
Regional Information Officer Daniel Fraser, in a statement from the
Regional Administration had said that miners destroyed miles of roadway
and exposed and damaged pipelines in their quest for gold and diamonds.
The Region Eight administration had said that though the Tactical
Services Unit of the Guyana Police Force had reinforcements and worked
along with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission's (GGMC)
Warden/Mines Officer there was no halt to the destruction.
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