‘‘Small miners’’ with 32 gold claims win court case against GGMC

…CJ orders reversal of eviction order

Milton Brandford and Ayudhia Narine, two ‘small miners’ with 32 gold claims at 14 Mile Issano in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), have been granted orders by the High Court reversing a decision made by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to evict them from their claims.
According to a statement, acting Chief Justice Roxane George handed down several orders on Tuesday against both GGMC and Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat. In one order, the Chief Justice affirmed that Brandford and Narine were the legal owners of the 32 claims.

In justifying the eviction of the men from the claims, GGMC had said that the lands were being shut down in order to curb illegal activities at the site. This action had prompted them to file an 80-page lawsuit against the state.
The men alleged in their court documents that shortly after an order was issued shutting down the claims and their camps were destroyed by GGMC and equipment seized, lotteries were held between September and December 2023 to issue the claims to others.
According to the statement, however, the Chief Justice also granted an injunction against the Government awarding any claim licences in the areas to anyone except Narine and Brandford. The Chief Justice also ruled that Brandford and Narine have a legal right to work the land. However, GGMC was also ordered to “take all steps necessary to favourably process the applications for 32 claim licences.”

“The Chief Justice also ordered injunctions against the GGMC and Minister Bharrat to prevent them from damaging, moving or otherwise interfering with the operations of Brandford and Narine on the claims,” the statement added.
Brandford and Narine were represented by attorneys-at-law Siand Dhurjon and Damien Da Silva whilst Minister Bharrat was represented by the Attorney General’s Chambers led by Prithima Kissoon. The GGMC was represented by Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran.
The Government of Guyana has been ramping up its efforts to crack down on gold smuggling and illegal mining. The issue of gold smuggling made waves in Guyana last year after the United States (US) Treasury Department had announced sanctions against local gold exporter Mohamed’s Enterprise.
During a press conference to recap 2024 earlier this year, Minister Bharrat had touted the successes achieved in tackling gold smuggling and illegal mining. He had also warned that those efforts would intensify this year.
Last year, Guyana recorded a sizeable increase in gold production, with gold bringing in total earnings of US$989.9 million in 2024 – an increase of over US$180 million. In addition to the earnings from gold, 434,000 ounces of gold were also declared.