TWO Ukrainian men who are employed at the West Bank Demerara Gold Inc. were on Tuesday remanded to prison after they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court charged for allegedly assaulting and making use of 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 firstly made to answer to the charge of failure to wear their uniforms while on duty.

The men where separately charged for the allegation, which read that on August 3, 2018 at Quartz Stone Backdam, Cuyuni River, they, while being employed as their respective designations by the West Bank Demerara Gold Inc., failed to wear their prescribed uniforms.

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

Paraschuck was charged for the alleged unlawful assault of Charles Clarke, along with making use of threatening behaviour on same 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 before the court were not nationals of Guyana and did not have sufficient ties to the country.

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

Also, making an appearance before the chief magistrate was 33-year-old security officer Charles Clarke, who is charged for not wearing his Hopkinson Mining Security Uniform while on duty on the same day.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on $20,000 bail. The chief magistrate transferred all of the matters to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court to be called again on August 23.

The two foreign nationals at the centre of allegations that they tortured two Guyanese miners, 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 a 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 and 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 brought 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.
The two Ukrainians, who are employed by West Bank Demerara Gold Inc. which is licensed to operate in Guyana, are sworn supernumerary constables and authorised to carry firearms.