…they don’t want to pay us but they want us to work’

TWO miners on Monday confessed to Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to stealing gold from their employer because of not being paid for months.

Mark Vansertima ,37 and Shane Razak, 35 admitted that between August 6, 2018 and August 7,2018 at a backdam in the Essequibo River, they stole five pennyweights and three grains of gold valued $53,000, property of Sadeek Sahadeo called ‘Sonno.’

The court was told that the duo stole the gold after breaking into the machine shop which stored the items. However, the items were later recovered in the men’s possession by the police following a report.

Vansertima told the court that for the past five months he has not been paid by Sahadeo and has a sick daughter in Venezuela and his family to provide for. He vented his frustration to the court since he had no other alternative and they were not allowed to leave the mining camp.

Razak added that with school soon re-opening he was unable to provide for his children since he was not being paid but made to work under harsh conditions.

“They don’t want to pay us but they want us to do the work,” both men told the court.
The magistrate discharged the men and told them to report their claims to the Ministry of Labour since they were serious.

The Chief further urged the police from the district to inform Sahadeo to pay his workers.