THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has reported that disciplinary action was taken regarding recent allegations of robbery, by an officer and other ranks, at Julian Ross Landing, in the Cuyuni.

The GDF, in an update, said those who were detained, for ‘Summary of Evidence’, have been tried summarily and disciplined while the officer awaits his court martial.
The Army statement added that the officer’s court martial is set to begin shortly as other proceedings, currently ongoing, are nearing completion.
The GDF, responding to an article published in the Kaieteur News of January 28, 2013, said the Chief of Staff, Commodore Gary Best spoke to miners in the area and, immediately, dispatched an investigative team, headed by a Lieutenant Colonel and Guyana Police Force (GPF) ranks, to the area.
The GDF had asked that the mining community cooperate with the investigators so they can get to the bottom of the accusations.
The GDF stated, categorically, that any rank found culpable of this dastardly act will face the full brunt of court martial proceedings or the civil law. Further, it intends to ask for the maximum penalty for anyone found guilty.

NOT AUTHORISED
The GDF assured all miners of all nationalities that soldiers are not authorised to conduct any mining operations except with the permission of the Chief Mining Officer.
It said: “No such mining operations are currently authorised. In this regard, the mining community is advised that the Force will not tolerate its ranks committing offences and wishes to assure all miners that there must be no fear of recrimination by anyone in the Force. Any suggestion of recrimination by any serving rank must also be reported and those involved will also face the full brunt of the law.”
The GDF said it is a very serious matter and it will get the full rigour of investigations, as the Army is committed to making the mining community a safe zone, so citizens and international investors can ply their trade peacefully.
The Kaieteur News had reported that several soldiers went to mining camps at Devil’s Hole, Cuyuni (an isolated area) where they seized cannabis sativa (marijuana) from some drug pushers and smoked it after which they descended on the miners.
The group identified as soldiers demanded all the raw gold from the hapless miners most of whom are Brazilians.
On February 2, 2013, the GDF said Commodore Best met with a group of miners at Julian Ross Landing where it was alleged soldiers engaged in criminal conduct against the miners and he also visited Guyana Goldfields at Aurora.
The statement said, in discussions with the miners about what acts transpired in the alleged raid by the soldiers, Best emphasised the need for the miners to come forward and identify the soldiers who were allegedly engaged in the act.
He said be assured: “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. A crime is a crime.”
Reiterating that the purpose of his visit was to ensure that justice was served, Best told the group of Guyanese and Brazilian miners that, if they did not act to identify the men and have them brought to justice, then it could lead to a continuance of such behaviour and the thwarting of justice.

LOCKED AWAY
Best reassured the miners that coming forward to identify the alleged wrongdoers could not lead to any form of retribution, since the alleged perpetrators would, if found culpable, no longer be posted to that area but would be locked away.
He indicated that bringing the soldiers to justice will send a signal to other ranks in the Force that such behaviour has serious consequences and there was no way it would be allowed to continue.
The miners and their support staff in the community have cooperated with GDF in its investigations, to the extent that some have identified the GDF Officer and soldiers as having been at the Julian Ross Landing, where they, allegedly, conducted criminal acts, the GDF acknowledged.
Consequently, the inquiry into the alleged robbing of mining camps by a group of soldiers continues and a report is expected to be submitted to Best shortly, the statement said.