Latest update September 4th, 2026 10:24 AM
Bartica gold scam investigations at a standstill
…video footage review yields no clues – Source
Investigating ranks probing the Gold Board scam have come up empty-handed following the review of video footage of the operations at the now closed Bartica Office.
According to a source close to the investigations, the ranks managed to review some of the footage but as a result of a malfunctioning camera no illegality was recorded.
There has also been no word from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment’s forensic audit of the Gold Board operations.
When the Ministry announced the probe, it said, “The Guyana Gold Board has engaged the services of an external auditor to perform a full forensic audit of the activities of the GGB at its locations to assist with the current investigation by the Guyana Police Force.”
The Gold Board insisted that its control systems remain one of the most robust in the region, even as investigators continue their probe into how staffers managed to breach systems.
The Board announced that it closed one of its main sub-offices at Bartica, Region Seven, a community located up the Essequibo River and once considered the gateway to the hinterlands.
The closure was said to be because of allegations that staffers may have tampered with the gold being purchased from miners.
Gold Board sources insisted that the probe is centered on a specific timeframe, March, when the bulk of the alleged tampering of the gold took place.
It is believed that as much as 50 ounces of gold ($10M) was involved.
At least six persons were taken into custody, including the female manager and the accountant but have since been released on bail.
The case is worrying authorities as gold remained for the third consecutive year, the biggest foreign exchange earner and a major spinner and employer of the economy.
Last year, gold exports earned a massive US$648.5 million.
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