Guyana Anti Corruption Network

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**GACN STATEMENT: WHISTLEBLOWER REVELATIONS EXPOSE SECRET SRDC-RMA MINING DEAL**

**[Georgetown, Guyana]** – The Guyana Anti-Corruption Network (GACN) today announced that it has received explosive information from a whistleblower revealing the existence of a **secret mining agreement** signed between the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) and the RMA – an arrangement deliberately concealed from the public and the very communities it affects.

The whistleblower, who has requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation, has provided GACN with credible information indicating that while the SRDC has publicly presented itself as a neutral oversight body, it has in fact entered into a clandestine pact with the RMA. This secret agreement, according to our source, goes beyond the now-defunct 2021 Special Mining Permit and establishes new terms that bypass proper consultation and regulatory scrutiny .

**THE SMOKE SCREEN REVEALED**

This revelation confirms what GACN has long suspected: the recent SRDC general meeting – which we previously identified as a “deliberate ruse” – was designed to create the illusion of transparency while a secret deal was being finalized behind closed doors. The carefully staged public engagements, which have been touted by government officials as evidence of commitment to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), now appear to be nothing more than a public relations exercise .

“Our whistleblower has confirmed that the SRDC leadership and RMA executives entered into a side agreement that circumvents the legal dissolution of the RMA Cooperative Society in May 2023,” said Mark Jacobs, GACN Communications Director. “While mining has continued illegally under a permit issued to a legally defunct cooperative, the SRDC has allegedly agreed to provide political cover for these operations in exchange for undisclosed benefits” .

**DISTURBING PATTERN OF DECEPTION**

The secret agreement comes amid growing concerns about foreign interests in Guyana’s hinterland regions. GACN has previously raised alarms about the increasing Brazilian presence in the Marudi area, including the reported presence of convicted Brazilian miner Rodrigo Martins de Mello, also known as “Rodrigo Cataratas,” who was sentenced to over 22 years in prison for leading an illegal mining operation on Indigenous lands in Brazil .

The whistleblower has indicated that the secret SRDC-RMA arrangement may have been facilitated to accommodate these foreign interests while presenting a unified front to the public. This would explain why the SRDC has been notably silent on the question of Brazilian involvement, despite concerns raised by community members.

**LEGAL AND ETHICAL VIOLATIONS**

The revelations raise serious questions about:

1. **Legality of Mining Operations**: The RMA Cooperative Society was legally dissolved in May 2023 by the Ministry of Labour . Any agreement signed by a non-existent legal entity is potentially void. Yet mining continues, and now we learn the SRDC may be complicit in perpetuating this illegality.

2. **Lack of Community Consent**: The 2021 agreement was already criticized for lacking proper Indigenous consultation . This secret deal represents an even greater violation of the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent.

3. **Conflict of Interest**: SRDC leaders who are supposed to represent community interests have allegedly entered into a pact that benefits private mining interests at the expense of transparency and accountability.

**CALL FOR IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION**

GACN is calling on the authorities to:

1. Launch an immediate independent investigation into the existence of a secret SRDC-RMA agreement.

2. Compel the SRDC and RMA leadership to disclose all agreements, whether public or private, regarding Marudi mining operations.

3. Suspend all mining activities at Marudi pending a full review of the legal status of the RMA’s mining permit, given the cooperative’s dissolution.

4. Investigate the role of foreign entities, particularly Brazilian interests, in influencing SRDC and RMA decision-making.

**PROTECTION FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS**

This latest development underscores the critical importance of robust whistleblower protection in Guyana. Under the Protected Disclosures (Whistleblower) Act of 2018, disclosures made in good faith about improper conduct – including corruption, mismanagement, and environmental damage – are protected . GACN stands ready to support all whistleblowers who come forward, and we call on the government to ensure that no retaliation is taken against our source.

“Corruption thrives in secrecy, and today we are pulling back the curtain on yet another corrupt arrangement,” Jacobs continued. “The people of the South Rupununi deserve to know what deals have been made with their leaders and their resources. We will not be silenced, and we will follow the evidence wherever it leads.”

**Ends.**

**For media inquiries, contact:**
media@guyanaintegrity.com

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*GACN is committed to exposing corruption, promoting transparency, and protecting the rights of all Guyanese. We will continue to investigate and report on matters of public interest, no matter how powerful the actors involved.*