GGMC issues removal letter to miner who alleged being bullied by gold magnate in Reg. 7

Oct 19, 2025 News

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…Miner says: ‘I will not be bullied; I am moving to the court’

(Kaieteur News) – Weeks after a medium-scale miner accused a prominent gold magnate of bullying him over a plot of mining land in the Toroparu Backdam, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has issued a removal order against the miner on the grounds that he has violated the mining regulations by disrupting the peace.

The issue dates back to December 2012, when Wallace Daniels discovered a strip of unclaimed land parallel to the Puruni River, located near property owned by the Alphonso family, well-known players in the local gold industry. After confirming the land was available, Daniels applied to the GGMC and was granted the claim with no legal challenges or objections at the time but later became the center of legal battles and threats.

On Saturday, Daniels’ nephew Marvis Halliman told Kaieteur News that GGMC has now served him a removal order, accusing him or persons acting under his direction of disrupting the peace in contravention of the Mining Act.

He shared a copy of the letter, issued by Mines Officer Alvin Graham and witnessed by GGMC Commissioner Newell Dennison, Deputy Commissioner Jimmy Reece, and Manager of Mines Quincy Thom.

“It has been observed and confirmed by the Mines Officer for the said district that you, or persons acting under your direction, have engaged in conduct contrary to the provisions of the Mining Act and the Regulations thereunder, thereby disrupting the peace and orders issued previously,” the letter states.

It further cites regulation 154 of the Mining Regulations which empowers a Mines Officer to remove, or cause to be removed, any person unlawfully occupying, or whose conduct is, “prejudicial to good order or proper working, from any claim, licence, or location within his jurisdiction.”

The letter outlined that regulation 98 of the Mining Regulations provides for the protection of peace and good order within mining districts and authorizes the Mines Officer to act in any situation likely to disturb or endanger the peace.

It was noted too that Halliman was previously served directing him to, “cease unlawful operations, vacate disputed area, desist from interference, and you have failed and/or neglected to comply with same.”

The letter further orders Halliman to remove all equipment and personnel from the claim within 72 hours or face forfeiture and possible legal action.

Speaking with this publication, Halliman said since receiving the letter, his lawyers have filed a writ of mandamus and plan to file a contempt order against the commission.

“I shouldn’t be disenfranchised or paint as a bad person…I will not be bullied by Alphonsos or whoever protecting them. I will not be bullied because I got all the evidence, everything I got drone footage, everything that he was doing,” Halliman declared.

He continued, “They said that how I disturbing the peace. I don’t know, remember when the security, them try to kill me. We got no report from the police them, with all these shots fired at me. Now they want me to move from what was legally granted to me…I’m fed up and I’m not going to move. I’m not going to move. I’m not going to move…”

Halliman stated that GGMC has consistently refused to comply with court rulings in their favour, while turning a blind-eye to the acts of the other gold miner. “With their bullyism trying all means that are necessary to get this land and GGMC, rather than being the statutory body to do the right thing and comply with the orders from the court and the orders from the magistrate. They are refusing to do it because they are fixed deep within…” he added.

This move by GGMC follows a September 24, 2025 article which highlighted Halliman’s plight in Region Seven. At that time, he had shared video of a man, purportedly an employee of the large-scale gold miner, armed with a rifle and demanding that he and his workers vacate the land. In the video, a confrontation unfolded between Halliman and the armed man. Halliman could be heard saying that that 300 feet from the river is a plot of land not owned by the large-scale miner.

According to GGMC documents seen by this publication, after there were no legal challenges or objections to Daniels’ application for the land, GGMC Commissioner Newell Dennison invited Daniels to a meeting, which was attended by Andron Alphonso and his lawyers. The meeting was an attempt to mediate a compromise after Alphonso complained, he would have applied had he known the land was available. However, that mediation failed.

According to the document, Andron Alphonso owns river claims filed for in 2009, covering 34 claims along the Puruni River, one mile upstream and 300-feet inland on both sides. Daniels’ application, however, was for the 300-feet north and south of the river, adjacent to the Alphonso property. The document states that Daniels’ actions were neither injurious to Alphonso nor illegal.

However, in February 2016, Alphonso objected to Daniels being granted Prospecting Permits Medium Scale (PPMS), arguing that his 2009 river claims included the 300 feet inland.

A tribunal chaired by Magistrate Allan Wilson heard the matter and in May 2024, ruled in Daniels’ favour. Magistrate Wilson held that under Guyana’s mining regulations, river claims cannot by law include 300-feet inland from the low-water mark, meaning Alphonso’s claims did not cover the disputed strip.

Halliman previously said that the magistrate ruled in their favour ordering GGMC, to grant their permits and strike out an order that was issued by Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat. On May 3, 2023, Minister Bharrat issued a retroactive order closing the disputed area from December 6, 2012, which is the day before Daniels made his application to GGMC.

In 2024, GGMC moved to the high court seeking a judicial review of the tribunal’s decision.

The respondents, Halliman, Magistrate Wilson and the Alphonso’s. Some of the respondents in the case sought a dismissal through their lawyers. The respondents argued that the case was improperly filed and lacked grounds. The court dismissed GGMC’s case, ruling that when Daniels applied in 2012, there were no objections, and that Alphonso only showed interest in the land after the application was filed. It was noted too that even after showing interest in the land, Alphonso never made a formal application for the same plot of land.

In December 2024, GGMC again moved to the high court this time seeking to quash Magistrate Wilson’s decision, arguing the permits granted overlapped with land already reserved by the 2023 ministerial order. GGMC contended that the order approved prospecting permits for Daniels in an area that had already been reserved and closed to mining. The commission argued too that the tribunal decision was unlawful, unreasonable, unfair, and an abuse of power. GGMC asked the court to quash this decision unless Magistrate Wilson can show cause. However, the court dismissed that challenge as well.

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• GGMC, gold-magnate, Marvis Halliman, miner, Newell Dennison, Vickram Bharrat

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