ATTORNEY GENERAL and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, has reiterated that Amerindian villages are private property under the Amerindian Act of 2006, and permission must be granted by the Village Councils before anyone can enter.

Speaking during his weekly televised programme ‘Issues in the News’, Minister Nandlall explained that most of these villages are communally owned under a land title and as such, unauthorised persons are not permitted to enter.

“If you enter the Amerindian village without permission, you commit a criminal offence and you can be charged and placed before a magistrate. For a summary offence, it’s a criminal offence under the act,” he explained.

The Amerindian Act of 2006 prevents anyone from entering a titled Amerindian village without permission
He reminded his viewers that this principle existed even during colonial times.

Minister Nandlall recalled a similar incident during the 2015 election campaign, where then-President Donald Ramotar was reportedly denied entry into a Region Nine village.
He explained that only government officers conducting official duties are legally exempt from seeking permission to enter these communities.