The Ministry of Natural Resources has condemned as “baseless and mischievous” an online report which claimed that the son of Minister Simona Broomes had been issued mining lands as “repayment” for her remaining in government.
The report which emanated from one of several online “News/Media” companies which have appeared for the current elections season identified a recent extraordinary gazette in which was published the Prospecting Permit Medium Scale (PPMS) Exemption Order 2019.
The Order lists nine individuals and organizations awarded mining lands as part of the Mining Syndicate Initiative (MSI) begun in 2017. The lands granted these individuals are according to the order exempt from the application procedures mentioned in the Mining Act of 1989 and the regulations made thereunder for the issuance of Medium Scale Prospecting Permit.
Included in those names is that of a Troy Broomes and Searomanee Parasram of the Central Mahdia Mining Association as well as someone who appears to be a longstanding PNCR member Dr Dalgleish Joseph.
The online report accuses Troy Broomes whom it identifies as the son of Minister Simona Broomes and Joseph of benefitting for an alleged massive giveaway of state lands by the APNU+AFC government.
However according to the Ministry, the Troy Broomes who has been issued lands is not the Minister’s son.
“[He] is a bona fide and legitimate miner, who, along with Mr. Parasaram and others, made an application in early 2017 to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to be granted access to mining lands as part of the Mining Syndicates Initiative (MSI),” a statement from the Ministry explains.
It further notes that the application, along with others from various Syndicates, was processed and approved once all the legal and procedural criteria were met.
“The application by the Central Mahdia Mining Association was given no special treatment or consideration and qualified for 10 mining blocks as per Government’s policy. Further, at no time was Minister Broomes involved in any of the decision-making processes for this mining application,” the statement stressed.
The Ministry has called on the entity which des-cribes itself as “here to ex-pose and denounce the illegal APNU+AFC government which seeks to hold on to power at all costs” to publish “a total retraction of this reckless and irresponsible story, which can only be intended to create confusion and disharmony within the society.”
