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Mahdia Gold employees reject newly appointed Security officer
…. “He runs the site like a slave camp”
It is now the stated mission of security employees at Mahdia Gold Corporation (Guyana) Inc. to deter the reinstatement of Chief Security Officer, Darren Nebres, who they said had been dismissed from the position earlier this year because of “inhumane treatment” of his subordinates.
Mahdia Gold Office, Barrack Street.
Workers mounted a protest outside of the Mahdia Gold Corporation Barrack Street office yesterday, when they learnt that Nebres had returned to Guyana; this time, to take up the position of Director of Security and Safety of Mahdia Gold Corporation.
The Philippines-born, Canadian national had been previously employed in the Canadian Police Force but was redirected to Guyana last year through the Mahdia Gold Corporation to take up the position of Chief Security Officer at the company’s ‘old Omai’ site.
Nebres was appointed to the earlier position by the then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Alan Zaakir.
Relatives of security employees, who were currently at their ‘old Omai’ work site, staged the picketing exercise outside of the office to express their frustration with the reappointment of the “tyrant Officer”.
It is believed that the man was appointed the new position by the company’s present CEO, Andre Douchane. Nebres reportedly arrived in Guyana on Tuesday last bearing a work permit, which is expected to run over two years.
Additional reports reveal that subsequent to his arrival in Guyana, Nebres issued a message to the current Chief Security Officer in which he was informed that his position has now been deemed “redundant” and that he would have to resume his position as a “normal security”.
As set out by his duties, he was in charge of the 30 security employees and responsible for the safety of some 20 other workers on the site. However, due to the misuse of his authority where he “ran the mining site like a concentration camp”, the Officer’s service was terminated by Zaakir.
According to information received, the man exercised his authority by intimidating the workers. “You couldn’t look at him; he would ask if you got a problem. He always carried a firearm and he would raise his vest to let it show. He would remove the safety of the firearm and set his hand over it,” one source recalled of the man’s “iron claw rule” during last year.
Further, it was reported that the Officer had compiled a list of instructions that governed the employees within the camp. These included the instruction that they “should not question him or anything that he says.”
Added information revealed that application of the Officer’s authority was even detrimental to the health of the employees. “He used to get us waking up at 3 AM to go to gym.
And they must exercise according to how he wants them to exercise; lifting weights and doing martial arts. Then they have to report for duty at 6AM and work for 12 hours.”
The source added, “At one time there was no flour in the kitchen and he told the baker to take mud and sand and make bake.”
According to reports, after some employees mustered up the courage to report the matter to the Chief Executive Officer, an investigation was launched resulting in the officer’s dismissal last February and this caused his return to Canada.
The employees stationed in the Mahdia site, are even more concerned that Nebres has returned with vengeance. They believe that if the Foreign Officer is denied a position in the company, it would “move forward”.
“Workers in this country must be treated fairly. We cannot bring foreigners here to run our business. He has to go.”
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