Guyana fires mines commission chief
GEORGETOWN, Guyana _ The Guyana government is replacing its geology and mines commission chief to chart a new course for an entity dogged by corruption allegations and a battered public image.
The move comes amid concerns about worker deaths in poorly supervised open pit mines across the small South American nation, corruption in the awarding of mining claims and the smuggling each year of an estimated 600,000 troy ounces of gold, Guyana’s leading foreign exchange earner.
The natural resources ministry announced Rickford Vieira’s dismissal late Friday as part of the new board of directors’ push to address allegations of corruption and mismanagement at the mines commission.
The Associated Press
