–pursuing stronger charges to ensure enhanced response to illicit acts, Vice-President Jagdeo

VICE-PRESIDENT, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said that the government, as part of its continued efforts to clamp down on gold smuggling, is strengthening the charges against persons who are involved in this illicit act.

He made these remarks during last evening’s edition of the show ‘Starting Point.’
Dr. Jagdeo said: “The problem is, when you charge people for smuggling, they get bail, and it’s harder to charge them for money laundering offenses. So, we now have to strengthen the charges that we place on those people.”

The government has already put systems in place to counter gold smuggling, and the recent busts that have been made, according to the Vice-President, were intelligence-led operations and when information was obtained, several actions were taken almost immediately to begin to uncover the major players in the illegal activities.
The Vice-President further disclosed that there are individuals who want to place Guyana at risk.

“If we were sanctioned globally for our gold sector, all our gold miners would be put at risk…If we don’t export our gold, or it comes under a whole range of paperwork, who do you think it would affect? It would affect the people who mine gold, etc…,” he said.

Last Saturday, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali also pointed to these individuals who carried out this illicit act and stated that it could have crippled Guyana.
While noting that because of what one person did, the government had to go through enhanced scrutiny, he said, adding: “What one man did could have crippled the entire mining sector. Every single gold deal and operator could have been crippled.”

President Ali appealed to the miners that they will receive targeted support but all the government is asking for in return is that they sell their gold legally.
“All we ask of you to do is to make your gold [and] to ensure that you sell it legally to the established and licensed operators and the Guyana Gold Board… We will invest in you, and we just want you to do that one thing, right,” the President said.

He then firmly stated: “We don’t want leakages in the system,” adding: “We don’t want our gold to cross any border.”