Family regains control of property ‘controversially” issued for mining purposes

Dec 16, 2013 News

By Zena Henry

A High Court Judge has cleared the way for a West Bank Demerara family to access property which a large sand mining company had taken over.
The family had picketed the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) earlier this year, blaming the agency for failing to act on what they described as a “clear case of bullyism.”

Family members fence the property and erect warning signs

Siblings of the Major and Benjamin family had explained that the property was in their family’s possession for generations and was being passed down from parents to children when the company, RMC SILICA, under Mr. Grantley Walrond, provided documentation from GGMC showing that the company had permission to mine on the family property.
Despite numerous attempts to show that the parcels of land at 13, 14, 15 and 16 Vreed-en-Rust belonged to the siblings, the businessman continued to claim the land, even destroying the structures and produce on the property in continuance of the mining activities.
In early April, the family further learnt that an interim injunction had been granted to Walrond, preventing them from selling, mortgaging, hypothecating, leasing or conducting any other activities on the said property. This prompted the family to stage a demonstration outside of GGMC, forcing the intervention of Minister of Natural Resource and the Environment, Robert Persaud, who directed the GGMC to grant a cease work order against the company until the matter was resolved.
Walrond’s injunction was discharged by Justice Roxanne George, who ordered the company to pay each of the 10 complainants $25,000 in legal fees. During the hearing, the family was able to present all relevant documentation; including the transport to show that they were the heirs to the property kept in their family for some 77 years.
It was further revealed that Walrond had indeed acquired a GGMC licence to conduct sand mining on the land. Walrond claimed, however, that the licence was not being renewed by the GGMC and provided documentation to show that a court action had been filed against the GGMC to show cause as to why the sand mining licence was not being renewed.
The family said it was never proven how a licence was granted for mining activities to take place on their property. It was never proven also, how the sand mining license had been acquired and who had issued the document. Seventy-six-year-old Desmond Major was the most senior of the July protestors.
He said that the family had filed counter claims against Walrond, since the GGMC was refusing to issue the businessman a cease work order. He accused the agency of aiding a clear case of “bullyism” on the businessman’s part.
Since the injunction was discharged, the family has since fenced their property and has made preparations to conduct business on it. The company has also removed the mining equipment to the perimeters of the property.
Walrond was a former Commissioner for the GGMC.