The Port Kaituma dredge owner who refused to pay workers and allegedly held them at
ransom has been brought to the city by the Police on the behest of Minister within the
Ministry of Social Protection Simona Broomes and has vowed to pay monies owed to the
miners by tomorrow.Elvis Cameron, along with worker Lendon Critchlow (operator) of Friendship, East Bank
Demerara, were flown to the city by Police who traveled to the mining district for the
Force’s business.

On Monday, Cameron along with some of the workers he owes in excess of $5M, met with
Minister Broomes at her Brickdam office where Cameron was instructed to pay all monies
owed to the workers on Tuesday.
“When people work, they have to get paid,” said the Minister. She stressed that Elvis was
involved in labour trafficking, “a serious offence” that would not be tolerated by her
ministry. According to Broomes, Cameron’s actions were inhumane as from time to time his
workers said he would leave them at his camp in the Port Kaituma backdam without food or
water for days knowing fully well that they had no money or transportation to leave the
location.
“You have these men for months in the backdam and you work them, you owe them, you got to
pay them. To take these men and carry them in the back dam, put them in a camp, they are
waiting for their money – left without food and you jump on the plane and gone, is
horrible,” she said as Elvis sat with his head bent before her.
The minister warned Cameron that should he fail to pay the workers by Thursday, the Police
would be involved in the matter. “This is not a road you must ever want to go down,” she
said sternly.
“We intend to educate persons about labour trafficking and those are some charges you don’t
want to find yourself in; it is a serious offence.”
“This man (Lendon Critchlow) was stranded in the bush, he wants to come home since February
; I had to ask the Police to assist me to put him on a flight – this man was afraid for
his life in the backdam; a pathologist had to go in there and they assisted me,” Broomes
explained.
She told Elvis that he treated his workers in a manner that left much to be desired. He
explained the spinoff of him not paying his workers.
“The man (Noel Sambach) come out the bush, he two sons couldn’t go to school… they are
working in a sawmill to survive; to help their mother,” she said.
The Minister instructed Cameron to take all monies owed to the workers to her ministry on
Tuesday at 13:00hrs. However, on Tuesday he pleaded with Broomes to extend his time to
Thursday as he could not provide all of the money.
AGGRESSIVE
Meanwhile, Cameron who was accompanied by his wife was warned not to have her return to
the meetings he was invited to by the Ministry. The woman became aggressive as Minister
Broomes addressed her husband about his actions towards the workers.
She consistently interrupted Minister Broomes and as the situation escalated Broomes
asked her to leave the meeting room.
Broomes warned Cameron of his wife’s behaviour and noted that the matter would be closed
only if he pays the workers their money. “I am willing to close the matter under one
condition and that is if you pay the money to the workers. Do not come without the money.”
Meanwhile, Cameron attempted to distance himself from one of the workers present at the
Monday morning meeting. Ovid Alberts, of Bartica said he is owed approximately $75,000 for cutting wood over a three- month period.
“He had given me $40,000 but he owes me over $70,000 more. I cut wood at $200 a bm. I cut about 360bm wood. I want all my money,” the resident of Bartica said.
“You disowning me, and I wuk wid you? Eh, big man,” Alberts was heard telling Cameron.
Lendon Critchlow told Guyana Chronicle that he is not interested in receiving part of his
money, he wants all. “I worked and I must get paid; I want all my money from Elvis, all
of it.” He is owed approximately $2.7M.
Lalita Balraj, wife of Noel Sambach explained her hardship. She told this publication
that she is angered everything she thinks of her two young sons who were forced to drop
out of school to work at a saw mill in Crab Wood Creek, Corentyne so that the family
could eat.
“I want my children to go back to school; Elvis needs to pay my husband. My children
can’t go to school because we don’t have anything in our kitchen. It is hard. I really
need my children to go back to school,” she said angrily.
“These are intelligent children, and I want them to write CXC. They have to go back to
school so he has to pay my husband,” Balraj said.
Like the others, Wilgress Critchlow said he is owed approximately $335,000. He said he
worked with Cameron in 2014. “He owes me since last year. I left and then went back.
I went back in June and came out in August. He (Elvis) left $66,000 and six dredge owner;
penny weight of gold for me. By the time I reach out of Port Kaituma, I had only about
$10,000 in my pocket. I need my money from him. I have debts to pay,” said the
Danielstown resident.
By Ariana Gordon