Cops probing gold ‘tampering’ at Gold Board Bartica office

Police are questioning several persons and the Bartica sub-office of the Guyana Gold Board has been shuttered as a probe opens into gold tampering during gold sales there.

The office handles millions of dollars in gold transactions. A statement from the Guyana Gold Board said that that Board of Directors have called on the police to probe an issue of gold being tampered with during the purchasing process. To facilitate the investigation, all operations at the Bartica Sub-Office have been closed temporarily.

“The Guyana Police Force is currently questioning several persons including the employees of both the Bartica Sub-Office and the Main Office in Georgetown,” the statement said.

It added that Gold Board and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment have convened a meeting with various stakeholders, including the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association and the licensed gold dealers, to ensure that the matter does not interrupt the overall trading of gold, particularly in Region Seven.