…sold Aurora Gold Mine in 2020, Oko project in 2026

(Kaieteur News) – The management team involved in the discoveries of two major Guyana gold assets that were later sold at a combined US$2.4 billion is currently negotiating for additional mining claims in Guyana.

G3 Goldfields Inc., was formed as a spin-out of G2 Goldfields Inc.’s remaining properties after its acquisition by fellow Canadian firm G Mining Ventures Corp. (GMIN) in July.

With over 30 years of in-country experience, G3’s team is responsible for the discovery of over 11 million ounces of gold to date, which includes the Aurora Gold Mine that was acquired by AGM Inc. a subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., a Chinese state-owned mining giant in August 2020 and the Oko-Ghanie project that was acquired by GMIN this year.

The team’s past gold assets discoveries in Guyana that were later sold for a total US$2.4 billion

AGM Inc. acquired the Aurora Gold Mine from Canadian-owned Guyana Goldfields Inc. for US$238 million. The mine is located in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and holds estimated reserves of close to 184 tonnes of gold, or approximately six million ounces of gold. The Aurora Gold Mine is currently the only large-scale gold project in Guyana that is producing. Just recently, Zijin reported that revenue for the first half of 2026 from its Guyana project reached US$334 million.

Meanwhile, GMIN acquired the Oko-Ghanie project this year, through a US$2.2 billion (C$3 billion) transaction, which brought together G2’s Oko-Ghanie project and GMIN’s fully permitted and financed Oko West project.

The consolidation is intended to create a major gold mining project in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), with G3 Goldfields retaining G2’s remaining properties not included in the acquisition.

G2 Goldfields had said the Oko-Ghanie project is expected to produce an average of 281,000 ounces of gold annually during its peak production years, with total production of approximately 3.2 million ounces over the life of the mine.

Now that the acquisition is completed, GMIN had disclosed that it will launch an integration programme to advance and integrate G2’s Oko-Ghanie project as the company pushes ahead with its Oko West project which first gold pour is targeted for the second half of 2027 and commercial production expected in early 2028.

According to G3, management spent approximately C$85 million to create more than C$3 billion in equity value in G2 Goldfields between 2019 and 2026.

With a proven legacy of discoveries and mine development, G3’s team said it is negotiating for additional land claims within the Oko-Aremu district, where it holds multiple exploration targets and claims containing the historical Peter’s Mine.

With more than three decades in-country experience, G3 said its team possesses the “boots on the ground” operating experience to be able to acquire and advance projects quickly. “The G3 team is laser focused on making the next major gold discovery in Guyana,” the company said, underscoring that it intends to build on that track record through further exploration and discovery in Guyana.

“G3 holds multiple drill-ready targets in the prolific Oko-Aremu gold belt and the active Puruni gold district, representing one of the most compelling early-stage exploration opportunities with exceptional discovery potential in the Guiana Shield. G3’s strategic land package is located immediately adjacent to two major high-grade gold discoveries totaling over 9 Moz Au,” the company added.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Deputy Commissioner of Police and head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Fazil Karimbaksh, has formally contested directives from Police Commissioner Dr. Clifton Hicken compelling him to proceed on pre-retirement leave. Through his attorney, Rizwaun Mohamed, Karimbaksh has rejected the legal foundation of the move, warning that immediate legal proceedings will be launched if the directive is enforced without lawful authority.

The dispute stems from a letter issued by Commissioner Hicken on October 7, 2026 (reference A/OPF/760), which stated that Karimbaksh is eligible for 174 days of annualised vacation leave prior to his retirement in April 2027 and that the leave “should commence on 2026-11-08”.

Deputy Police Commissioner, Fazil Karimbaksh

However, legal representation for the SOCU head has fired back, stating that Karimbaksh “does not consent to compulsory pre-retirement leave on the basis presently advanced” and “remains ready and available to discharge his duties and comply with lawful directions”.

The legal challenge centers on both the calculation of accumulated leave and the jurisdiction to enforce administrative absence. According to Karimbaksh’s official records, his actual leave entitlement is 118 days, significantly lower than the 174 days calculated by the police administration. Consequently, the proposed commencement date of November 8, 2026, is expressly disputed.

Furthermore, the legal notice questions the statutory authority behind the commissioner’s directive. While acknowledging that Section 6 of the Police Act, Cap. 16:01, grants command and superintendence of the force to the commissioner, attorney Rizwaun Mohamed emphasised that these powers must align with the constitution:

“A general reliance upon command authority does not resolve the distinct question of the legal basis for compelling my client’s absence.”

The correspondence highlights that Articles 211 and 212 of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana govern appointment and disciplinary powers. Specifically, Article 212(1) vests disciplinary control over officers of Karimbaksh’s rank in the Police Service Commission. While Article 212(2) permits delegation by written directions, the legal notice notes that the commission is presently unconstituted, and stresses that “[a]ny such vacancy does not, of itself, transfer its powers to you or another authority.”

 The intervention explicitly rejects the categorisation of the enforced absence as administrative leave, arguing that semantic framing does not bypass constitutional safeguards.
“On the legal basis presently disclosed, you have no lawful authority to impose such leave upon my client. No applicable statutory power or operative written delegation authorising that course has been identified or furnished.”

Dr. Hicken has been placed on notice that if attempts are made to compel Karimbaksh to take leave without lawful backing, legal proceedings will be instituted immediately, including requests for urgent interim relief and costs. Despite the standoff, legal counsel noted that Karimbaksh’s continued performance of his duties should not be interpreted as an acceptance of the disputed leave or a waiver of his objections.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Armed bandits on Saturday night stormed the business establishment of 57-year-old Jagnarine Persaud, also known as “Balram”, at No. 2 Village, East Canje, Berbice, and escaped with $10 million.

Police said the robbery under arms occurred at about 19:35 hrs. at the Seema and Devalsh (Balram) Outlet.

Robbed: Jagnarine Persuad, 57

Preliminary investigations revealed that Persaud was in the cashier area of his beverage depot, located on the lower flat of his premises, when three masked men entered the establishment. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun, while the other two carried a baseball bat and a cutlass.

Video footage shared with Kaieteur News showed three masked individuals arriving at the premises in a motor car bearing no registration plate.

Speaking to Kaieteur News on Sunday, Persaud said the vehicle reversed onto his premises shortly after 19:00 hrs. on Saturday, an action that did not initially raise any suspicion.

At the time, his wife and their five-year-old son were outside with a customer, while Persaud was in the cashier section. The couple was preparing to close the business for the day and go out when the ordeal unfolded.

Persaud recalled that the situation escalated after his son began shouting and ran inside the building, followed by the suspects, who had reportedly confronted and pushed a customer into the premises.

“We were going out. We din’ plan to close off to go out, then the car reverse in. After that, we suddenly hear we son shouting and hollering, and he run and come in here. And the guys, they chucked the guy (customer) and pushed him in here. My son, they follow he and come in here,” Persaud recounted.

Jagnarine’s place of business that reportedly lost millions in cash to armed bandits.

He said the men then demanded all the money kept at the business.

“They come in and said they come for all the money,” he recalled.

Persaud said he initially told the men that he had no money, but one of the suspects allegedly threatened to kill him.

“I hold out that I don’t have money, but one of the bandits allegedly threatened, ‘ah killing yuh right here’,” he said.

The businessman said the suspects eventually located the key to a section where cash was kept, collected the money and fled. He noted that the men did not search any other part of the house or business premises.

Police said no shots were fired and no injuries were reported. Persaud also confirmed that no one was physically harmed during the ordeal.

The businessman disclosed that this was not the first time he had been targeted by robbers. His previous business location nearby was reportedly robbed several times about six years ago, although the amounts stolen were significantly smaller.

He described Saturday night’s robbery as particularly traumatic, saying the experience left him unable to sleep.

“Well, it shake me, the whole night. I didn’t sleep. I’m not so much (more concerned about the money), but my life. And my son and my wife, we’re just so traumatised,” he said.

Persaud, who operates a wholesale and retail business, said the stolen cash had accumulated over two days of business at the outlet.

A male employee told Kaieteur News that he was at the back of the extensive facility when the robbery occurred. He said he only learnt what had happened when he returned to the front of the building moments later.

Police have obtained CCTV footage and are reviewing it as investigations continue. No arrests had been made up to press time.

Source: Kaieteur News

(AL-JAZEERA) United States forces have disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew “ignored repeated warnings and attempted to run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran”, according to Central Command (CENTCOM).

A US military fighter jet struck the stern of the Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the Arika Sun, with a precision munition on Saturday, “fully disabling the ship’s propulsion without harming the crew”, CENTCOM said in a statement. The vessel was attempting to transit regional waters after “having previously departed an Iranian port”.

CENTCOM said its forces resumed their blockade against all ships “entering or departing Iranian ports on July 14”, disabling four commercial vessels and turning around 135 ships during “three months of strict enforcement”.

US forces also destroyed 10 tankers linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) “multibillion-dollar shadow network” over the same period, CENTCOM said.

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, October 6, 2026 [Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via WANA/Reuters]

US Senator Chris Murphy questioned the military strike, writing on X: “What is this all for? Why are taxpayers paying billions to hit commercial ships?”

“Apparently the goal is to gain leverage in order to convince the Iranians to let us pay them billions to return everything to the way it all was before the war,” the Democratic politician added. “What a disaster.”

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency acknowledged the incident on Sunday, saying that it had received “a report of an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Gulf of Oman” and that authorities were investigating.

Meanwhile, the IRGC said it struck a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz for attempting to take an “illegal route”, as Tehran seeks to enforce its own blockade on the vital waterway.

In a statement carried by official Iranian media, the IRGC claimed Iranian forces “have taken control of the administration of the strait”.

“In carrying out this mission, a few hours ago, a giant LPG carrier named NV Sunshine, owned by NatWit, which was attempting to transit via the illegal route south of the Strait of Hormuz, was struck,” the statement said.

The UKMTO said on Sunday that an outbound tanker in the strait was struck on the port side by an unknown projectile, causing a fire on board. The UK agency said crew members were reported safe, while the damage and environmental impact remained unknown at the time of the report.

Tehran has attempted to enforce control over the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israel war on Iran, insisting that ships obtain permission to cross via its preferred routes. However, vessels have increasingly risked taking an alternative route hugging the strait’s southern coast.

The UK maritime agency said on Thursday that a vessel sailing 94km (58 miles) north of Madinat ash Shamal, off the north coast of Qatar, was struck by multiple projectiles, resulting in several casualties.

The agency did not specify the origin of the ship or the number of people killed or injured, adding that authorities were investigating the incident amid a recent rise in attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.

Ships in the Gulf attempting to cross the strait, which is the sole maritime route in or out of the oil-rich region, have faced repeated attacks since the US and Israel began the war in late February.

The Strait of Hormuz remains vital to the global economy, with about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passing through the passage before the war began.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Twenty-eight-year-old Romel Toney of Kairuni, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, died on Saturday after sustaining an injury to his neck during an altercation at Amelia’s Ward, Linden.

Dead, Romel Toney

The Guyana Police Force (GPF), in a statement, said it is investigating the alleged murder, which occurred on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at about 21:00hrs.

Preliminary information revealed that Toney was involved in an altercation with another male, during which he sustained an injury to his neck. He subsequently died.

Police said investigations are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Source: Kaieteur News

By Khadidja Ba

(Kaieteur News) – Relatives of the victims and survivors of the July 18 MV Barima maritime disaster are raising serious concerns over a lack of communication and procedural clarity from the secretariat of the Commission of Inquiry.

Despite formal public hearings scheduled to commence on Wednesday, October 14, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, grieving families report being left in the dark regarding basic processes, the precise purpose of engagement meetings, and how to present evidence to the panel.

Head of Secretariat, Javed Shadick

Speaking with Kaieteur News, several family members expressed growing frustration with the secretariat, which is headed by attorney Javed Shadick. According to affected relatives specifically from Region One, communication from the secretariat has been fragmented and confusing. Relatives reported attending or being invited to preliminary sessions without receiving prior agendas or clear explanations as to what the engagements aimed to achieve. Regarding the meeting being held today with the commissioners, families reported being told “yesterday about a meeting we gotta attend, we don’t know about what.”

Furthermore, multiple family members and survivors indicated a strong desire to testify and present key accounts, yet they have received no clear instructions on whether the commission will facilitate their testimony, how to register as witnesses, or what support might be provided. Though the commission has entered into the Gazette this information, it remains far removed from the accessibility hurdles faced by persons in outlying regions, an acknowledgement made by President Ali on September 2^nd when he called on telecommunication providers in Guyana to invest more in improving services in the hinterland regions. Additionally, there has been no constant outflow of information from the secretariat.

Many families remain unsure whether the secretariat intends to call them individually, collect written statements beforehand, or restrict oral testimonies primarily to technical experts and maritime officials.

One relative, speaking on the condition of anonymity, explained that families want to give their accounts so the truth can come out, but nobody from the secretariat is explaining the process to them. They noted that families are being invited to meetings without knowing what they are about, and no one is telling them how or when they could take the stand.

Shadick had previously stated during media briefings, that early engagements were intended to outline procedures and gather information from affected persons. However, families say these intentions have not translated into effective or empathetic communication on the ground. Language barriers, telecommunication hurdles, knowledge of these processes are all abound.

With the five-member commission, led by technical experts including Polish naval architect Dr. Marek Jasionowski, preparing to commence taking formal evidence on Wednesday, the breakdown in communication threatens to undermine public confidence among those most impacted by the catastrophe.

Family members are calling on the COI secretariat to immediately establish structured, transparent outreach protocols prior to the start of public hearings. They are demanding explicit written and verbal instructions detailing how survivors and victim relatives can submit statements or request to give oral testimony before the Commissioners. They are also requesting prior notification detailing the scope and objective of any engagement hosted by the Secretariat, as well as a dedicated family liaison officer within the Secretariat to address procedural inquiries and provide updates throughout the six-month inquiry period.

As the October 14 commencement date approaches, affected families maintain that full transparency and meaningful inclusion are essential if the Commission is to deliver complete accountability and closure.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – A family torn apart by the tragic capsizing of the MV Barima vessel traveling to the North West District, is calling for urgent government and official intervention to speed up the reimbursement and the return of their hard-earned funds lost during the disaster.

Speaking in an interview with Kaieteur News, Grenville Smith of Aracuru detailed the harrowing night he, his wife, and son fought for survival in open waters for seven hours, the heartbreaking loss of his daughter and grandson, and the secondary struggle they now face to recover the money he had diligently saved over years of hard labour.

Survivors of the MV Barima tragedy, Grenville Smith, Roselle Smith and their son Alex.

The tragic journey began in July after the family attended a funeral and made plans to return home. Boarding the vessel between 1:30 PM and 2:00 PM, Smith recalled that the boat was already heavily laden, with workers continuing to add cargo right up until departure around 4:00 PM.

By nightfall, as the vessel encountered rough waters, overcrowding forced passengers to huddle together. Around 10:00 PM, violent waves began overtopping the boat, causing it to capsize and throwing all passengers into the dark waters.

“When the boat made the second turn, that was the second wave coming, I was already in the water. Everybody was screaming and hollering,” Smith recounted.

Deceased, 7 year old Aarave Daniels and 13 year old Shamera Smith.

Separated from his family, Smith spent seven grueling hours fighting massive waves, clinging first to a piece of wood and later to a floating gas cylinder, before being rescued at around 5:00 AM by an army patrol boat. While Smith was miraculously reunited aboard the rescue vessel with his wife, Roselle, and his son, Alex, his daughter, Shamera Smith, and young grandson, Aarave Daniels, did not survive. Their bodies were later recovered. 

While the family continues to grapple with severe emotional trauma and sleepless nights, they are now facing administrative delays and skepticism regarding funds and property lost in the incident.

Smith explained that prior to the voyage, he had worked grueling shifts in Region One, doing heavy construction and infrastructure work at White Water, Wauna, Arakaka, and the recently opened Matthews Ridge airstrip, earning a daily rate of $10,000 plus overtime. Over two years, he meticulously saved his earnings to purchase a vehicle to transport his daughter to school and ease his family’s severe transportation struggles in the interior.

However, following the sinking of the MV Barima and the loss of their personal belongings and cash, navigating the bureaucracy to claim reimbursements and verify his financial losses has proven to be an exhausting process. “I work hard for this money,” Smith emphasised, noting that he possesses signed contracts, job slips, and official documentation proving his earnings. “I got the pay slip, I got the contract sheet where I signed. My daily fee was $10,000 a day… I worked for this money, saving and saving. It’s hard to pass back the money through all the process and everything.”

Smith expressed frustration over the perception surrounding his claim, pleading with officials to process the compensation and return of funds without unnecessary delays or skepticism. Beyond financial relief, Smith noted that while initial contact was made regarding counseling and mental health support, practical relief and genuine sympathy remain difficult to come by for grieving families. “Every day I try, but it’s always there in your mind,” Smith said. “Seven long hours in the water… it was a real, terrible time for everybody.”

As the family continues to process their loss, they are calling on the relevant authorities to expedite the reimbursement process and provide concrete support to help them rebuild their lives after such a devastating tragedy.

Source: Kaieteur News