AN Officer and four other ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have been detained in relation to their alleged involvement in criminal conduct, reportedly committed in the Cuyuni mining district recently. The GDF said in a release yesterday that the arrests follow a visit Friday by Chief-of-Staff, Commodore Gary Best, to the mining community at the Julian Ross Landing, where he assured the miners that once the alleged perpetrators of the infraction at reference were identified, he would ensure that they were charged and placed before the courts.

With the cooperation of the miners, the release stated, the suspects were positively identified “as being present and entering the mining camps,” whereupon Best made good on his promise to take action.

“The COS made good on his promise to the community when he said, ‘Once we have evidence that the soldiers came here and went to the ‘backdam’ and robbed the miners, I will ensure that they are charged and put before the court; and if they have to end up in prison, then they will end up in prison,’ and the men were escorted by GDF investigators and brought to Camp Ayanganna today,” the release said.

All hands, it said, “are currently detained at Camp Ayanganna, where they were charged with military offences. They appeared before a Commanding Officer and were remanded for a Summary of Evidence with a view to Court Martial proceedings.”

According to the release, the GDF “has sufficient evidence to charge the ranks under military law. The alleged criminal conduct by the officer and ranks in the mining camp and at the Julian Ross landing continues to be investigated by the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force.”

The Chief-of-Staff has reiterated that criminal conduct by officers and ranks of the Guyana Defence Force will not be tolerated, and that transgressors of the Force’s policies and standard operating procedures, particularly in this regard, will be severely dealt with at the Force level and will also face criminal charges before the nation’s courts.

 The Guyana Defence Force, through publication in the newspapers, has also emphasised to the mining community across Guyana that “Officers and soldiers of the Guyana Defence Force are not authorised to conduct ANY mining operations, request to see and inspect any mining licences or intermeddle into any mining activities except in the presence of a GGMC Mining Officer. Therefore, members of the mining community must not submit themselves to any actions by officers and soldiers of the Guyana Defence Force acting alone with respect to enforcement of laws governing mining in Guyana.”