Akawini Village seeks $10M from Barama in unpaid debt

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Akawini Village seeks $10M from Barama in unpaid debt

Kaieteur News, 15 June 2007

The Akawini Village Council Toshao, David Wilson, is contradicting the
statements issued by Chairman of Barama, Girwar Lalaram, which
suggested that the Council had indicated an interest in having the
logging company continue its operations in the village.

Wilson said that the Council had observed the steady depletion of the
surrounding forests and, therefore, sought to evict the logging company
on the grounds that “the operations were seriously hampering the
villagers' ‘Amerindian' way of life.”

The Toshao said, too, that Barama, through the Interior Wood Products
Incorporated (IWPI) with which a sub-contract was signed, owes the
Akawini Village Council in excess of $10 million in outstanding monies.

He said that the only interest the Council has in the logging company
is in the payment of the large outstanding sum.

Further, Wilson denied ever confiding in the Barama Chairman, who
suggested that the village was misled by the Amerindian People's
Association (APA).

He denied that the village wants the company to make alternative
logging arrangements.

According to Wilson , the APA is the only Amerindian Association that
has managed to maintain the trust of the people of Akawini Village ,
and it has never advised them against the benefits of the people.

Wilson did, however, confirm that the company has complied with the
villagers' request and has begun removing its equipment, adding that
the company is also seeking to take with them the logs that have
already been cut.

He said that Barama, during its time of operations, sought to cut down
only the major species, reducing the chances of the villagers to
recruit another logging company to maintain a steady and level income.

Two weeks ago, during an official meeting with the community, Barama
was forced to shut down its operations at Akawini after the residents
told the company's management that the village wanted the logging
operations to cease.

During the meeting, intense lobbying was carried out by the logging
entity to maintain its operations in the village.

The Amerindian community had signed a contract with IWPI allowing
Barama to log in the area.

The Village Council is claiming that it never saw the supposed contract
which was signed between the two companies.

The Toshao also revealed, yesterday, that reports were made to the
Ministry of Amerindian Affairs suggesting that there was some level of
embezzlement in the Council.

This, he said, resulted in the request for an immediate internal audit
into the Council's spending, and the temporary suspension of payment to
the Council, with the cheques being withheld by the Amerindian Affairs
Minister.

Upon completion of the audit, Wilson said, the cheques were outdated
and therefore could not be encashed.

He said that he had approached the IWPI to rewrite the cheques, but
that request was denied.

He added that there has since been no assistance from the Amerindian
Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues, who he claims is partially
responsible for the financial position of the village.

Wilson said that a neighbouring Amerindian village, St. Monica, has
been pleading with the logging company to remain in that village.

He added that the company may likely refuse, since most of the valuable
species were taken from Akawini.

With reference to the infrastructural works that the logging company
undertook at a cost of US$500,000, Wilson said that the road was built
more to the benefit of the logging company than to the village.

He said that the road construction has destroyed several major
waterways and dams. He pointed out that the company, in its dismantling
process, is wittingly destroying the very roadway in an effort to spite
the village.