“For the sake of operational security”, the army preferred to keep the unit implicated in this extortion case on a clandestine gold panning site in Guyana secret.
Disturbing facts
Thunderclap within the Armed Forces in Guyana (FAG). Nine soldiers are about to appear before the Cayenne criminal court for a case ofextortion on an illegal gold mining site. The events date back to October 3, in the west of the Guyanaa region where illegal gold panning is a recurring scourge. Soldiers then stole some “tens of grams” gold as well as tools belonging to illicit gold miners. The latter, to everyone's surprise, filed a complaint in the days that followed. The case, quickly taken up by the courts, led to the soldiers being taken into custody on November 5. During interrogations, they admitted the facts, thus confirming the suspicions of extortion.
A procedure under high tension
According to the attorney general of the court of appeal, Joël Sollier, the soldiers will soon be summoned before the Cayenne criminal court, once authorization from the Ministry of Defense has been obtained. “The procedure is locked”he clarified on the remark taken up by Tf1 Info. He added that the case is being investigated by the Cayenne high court, competent for military matters in GuyanaGuadeloupe and Martinique since 2015.
Silence from the army
The General Staff of the Armed Forces has chosen not to comment on this ongoing investigation, citing respect for the instruction. The unit of the incriminated soldiers also remains confidential, officially for reasons of operational security. However, the General Staff wanted to point out that these isolated actions in no way reflect the commitment of the FAG. “Every day, more than 300 soldiers are mobilized to fight against illegal gold mining, a major scourge for the environment and the economy”he said.
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