FARMERS’ Representative in the Pomeroon River, Mrs. Vilma Da Silva has alleged that she aborted an attempt by a Trinidadian to steal containers of coconut water destined for the twin-island republic.

She told the Guyana Chronicle that the man was contracted by a company to transport a shipment of bottled coconut water and he attempted to take it away from her stelling in the Lower Pomeroon in the middle of a night.
Da Silva said she has a contract to supply 50,000 litres of the merchandise to a Trinidad company each month but the first consignment she tried to send met with several problems, caused mainly by the man who was hired to ship the cargo and the issue of cold storage on his boat.
The woman, who is also a Councillor of the Region 2(Pomeroon/Supenaam) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and a strong supporter of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) said, that the market for the produce will increase the earnings of farmers who cultivate it in the Pomeroon.
She said, when the boat arrived in the Pomeroon, for the first shipment, some farmers tried to use politics to destroy the lucrative opportunity and got the vessel to take on board mining equipment for the Barama River.
Da Silva said she had checked to ascertain whether the cold storage on the vessel was in operation and found that it was malfunctioning, although the owner was assuring otherwise.
She said she became worried and suspected that something was not right, so she called the company in Trinidad.
Meantime, the vessel went to Charity and the owner did other business with persons who hired it to take equipment to the North West District.

HEARD NOISES
Da Silva said, one night while in bed, she heard noises and awoke only to discover the same boat was near her stelling and the Trinidadian was trying to put her containers on board without her knowledge.
It was around midnight and she and her husband rushed out of their beds and enquired from the Trinidadian why he was removing the containers without informing them in the middle of the night.
But, later that night, the vessel damaged her pier and destroyed some trees while moving from its moorings. The Police at Charity were informed and they responded quickly to the scene.
Da Silva said the police took swift action and instructed the Trinidadian to sail the craft to Charity where it would have been impounded but, it suddenly, turned back and headed for the Pomeroon River mouth.
She said the police tried to contact Coast Guards but there was no response from them and the Trinidadian escaped with his boat from the Pomeroon River with twelve Guyanese on board, who were headed to Barama with their equipment.
Da Silva said the Trinidadian has violated the laws of Guyana and refused to obey the orders of the police and called for the matter to be further investigated at the level of CARICOM.