A SERIES of criminal activities surfacing in remote areas of Guyana over the past few months, particularly in Port Kaituma, has led to questions being asked.

The authorities would like to know how those incidents are affecting not just the communities, but Guyana as a whole; and what measures could be implemented to reduce the prevalence of crime in the affected areas?

Four deaths, three by murder and the other by suicide, have been reported in the Port Kaituma community over the last week alone.

Last month, a presumably mentally ill man set his house ablaze, in the process roasting his wife and four children, although he also later died of injuries sustained in that incident.

And an eight-year-old girl was raped by an elderly man in that presumably troubled community last month. Following that, a number of armed robberies directed towards operators in the mining industry have given rise to criminal activities, particularly in Port Kaituma.

The repercussions of such issues can lead to instability and stifle economic growth, not only in the region, but throughout the country, as Guyana is heavily dependent on mining.

Expressing his view on the issue in an interview with this newspaper, President of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), Mr Patrick Harding, explained that while the increase in these crimes has not yet posed a threat to the industry, security and protection of its operators should not be taken for granted.

He added that the mining industry, as a high-cost investment, is extremely vulnerable; and noted that while the police are cooperating with industry players and residents in the troubled areas, their effectiveness is curtailed by their limited numbers in those regions.

Harding opined that large-scale miners are not affected to a great extent, as they usually facilitate provision for their own security.

“However, these crimes pose threats to smaller miners, who depend heavily on the police for protection,” he said. As such, Harding is urging the relevant authorities to assist in improving the situation by providing additional ranks in these areas.

Echoing Harding’s sentiments, Rickford Vieira, Guyana Geology and Mines Commissioner (GGMC), stressed the need for “tighter” security in these areas. Vieira explained that it is very costly for investors to have to bear the entire cost of providing security in these hot-spot areas.

This daunting issue has the potential to escalate if not monitored, Vieira said, and it can possibly affect not only the business industry, but the tourism industry as well.

The remote areas which once seemed a haven for many Guyanese seeking respite from the stresses of the concrete jungle are now producing constant criminal incidents.

Vice-Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Mr Ramesh Persaud, expressed that body’s concern about the situation, saying what is needed is protection of the tourism industry and the business sector’s operations in those areas.

“We are extremely concerned about the miners and community members as well,” Persaud said, as he noted the need for increased police presence in those areas, especially Bartica, Port Kaituma and Barima.

The foregoing concerns were not responded to by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), as efforts to contact Commander Courtney Ramsay of the ‘F’ Division proved futile.

Only yesterday, in an INews report, Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), retired Justice Cecil Kennard, revealed that he had received several complainants that police officers in the Lethem/Annai area are accepting bribes to forego prosecution of offenders.
Written By Ravin Singh