TWO Ukrainian men, who are employed at the West Bank Demerara Gold Inc , were on Tuesday remanded to prison after appearing before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court charged for assaulting and using  threatening behaviour towards two Guyanese miners.

The men, Maksym Furtak, a 33-year-old manager and Vitaly Paraschuck , a 38-year-old security officer were first made to answer to charges of failure to wear their uniforms while on duty on August 3,2018 at Quartz Stone Bankdam, Cuyuni River the men while being employed in their respective designation by the West Bank Demerara Gold Inc.

Furtak was further charged for making use of threatening behaviour towards Randolph Deane ,a Guyanese national, on August 3, 2018 at Quartz Stone Bankdam.

Paraschuck was charged for unlawfully assaulting Charles Clarke and using threatening behaviour on the day in question.

The men, with the aid of an interrupter , pleaded not guilty to the respective charges while their attorney Keoma Griffith made an application for their release.

Griffith noted that his clients were removed from the company’s Cuyuni River location and relocated to its head office in Georgetown.

However, Police Prosecutor Inspector Gordon Mansfield noted that the two defendants are not Guyanese nationals and do not have sufficient ties to the country.

The magistrate ruled in favour of the prosecutor’s objections and remanded both Ukrainian nationals to prison.

Also making an appearance before the Chief Magistrate, was 33-year-old security officer, Charles Clarke who was charged for not wearing his Hopkinson Mining Security uniform while on duty on the day in question.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on $20,000 bail.  The Chief transferred all the matters to the Bartica Magistrates Court for August 23.

The two foreign nationals were arrested last week and police said they were in breach of their uniform dress code since, as supernumerary constables, they ought to have been attired in the prescribed manner approved by the force’s administration for that company and not as seen outfitted in the video.

In a statement issued last Wednesday, the police said a thorough investigation was launched into the incident. A police investigative team from CID headquarters received much-needed assistance from a miner who ferried the ranks to Quartz Stone, Cuyuni, on a mining claim operated by miner, Shawn Hopkinson, where the incident allegedly occurred.

On Wednesday, the National Mining Syndicate called on the authorities to address the issue with a view of ensuring justice prevails, in the interest of the local miners. The body said the incident brings to the fore the need for dialogue, between key agencies and expatriates who seek to do business in Guyana, either individually or as a company.