Corruption at Guyana Geology and Mines Commission

Jun 17, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
In 2008 the GGMC wrote Mr. Wyette Amsterdam stating that they have to confiscate 18 medium scale blocks in the Marudi mountain area because it was part of the Amerindian reservation, the same area had other people with blocks, namely Mr. Vieira that were not confiscated.
It was later found out that Mr. Odinga Lumumba after a talk with Mr. Amsterdam, sought to have them taken away so that he can have them and give them his friend and a German mining company (Gold Port) to work. After fighting GGMC to no avail Mr. Amsterdam was written to by the then Minister Robert Persaud telling him that he has to seek alternative blocks.
In March 2014, after finding some blocks Mr. Amsterdam decided to apply for them. Again he was given the fight of his life because one, Miss Charissa Ali, through Errol Singh, wanted the said location. However this time Mr. Persaud sent the matter to the Closed Area Committee after President Donald Ramotar told GGMC to give the land to his “girlfriend”, Miss Ali.
After a few months of rumbling and soliciting monies from Mr. Amsterdam’s nephews who were working on the location, the land was awarded to Lumumba. Miss Ali who did not have any reason for alternative blocks was then given alternative so that she could acquire the said blocks. The president through Mr. Clinton Williams and Mr. Foster sought to hold on to the documents for the land and asking that it be given to Miss Ali.
In 2014 Mr. Amsterdam was informed that five blocks of land he owned in the Buck Hall area were mistakenly auctioned. When contacted, Mr. Dani Singh begged Mr. Amsterdam not to take the matter to court since the land was wrongfully auctioned , and to seek alternative which he later approved.
In January this year, I Mr. Clifford Fordyce, Mr. Amsterdam’s nephew went into the Mazaruni area and checked some lands that were in a closed area and were state lands. Mr. Amsterdam proceeded to apply and was approved on March 27, 2015. He applied for eight available blocks only to have six approved. He was told by Mr. Singh to apply for the remainder later, which he did but has not heard anything about them since.
Mr. Amsterdam’s nephews were in the area in May 2015 and observed one Miss Juliet Webber working on the said two blocks that were not approved. She had “claim boards” there. One nephew went into GGMC and filed a complaint only to be given the same run around as before.
Added to that, Miss Webber claimed that she was given the area by a high ranking official in GGMC. When Mr. Amsterdam visited the commissioner of GGMC to have his matter heard, he was told by the secretary that the commissioner said that “he cannot see him; let him go to Mr. Mohan Persaud” who then told him “he is too busy” that he has to come back some other time.
While we were there, I was told by some high ranking official there that they don’t want anything to do with the matter.
Clifford Fordyce
Miner

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