On Monday, March 23, 2026, upon application by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), the Honourable Chief Justice (ag) Navindra Singh granted a Detention Order in favour of SOCU, pursuant to section 37A of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, Cap. 10:11 (‘AML/CFT Act’).
The Order permits SOCU to detain 4018.15 pennyweights of Gold valued at over eighty million, nine hundred eleven thousand, seven hundred sixty-five Guyanese Dollars (G$80,911,765.00); and Currency, in the sum of eighty-one million one hundred one thousand two hundred Guyanese dollars (GY$81,101,200.00), (“the properties”), being properties of Sebastiao De Olivera Moura and GAGO Gold Inc. (“the Respondents”).
On February 7, 2024, following a joint operation conducted by SOCU, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Guyana Gold Board (‘GGB’), and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (‘GGMC’), SOCU obtained several Detention Orders from the High Court to detain the said properties until May 6, 2025. However, before the Orders elapsed, then Chief Justice Roxane George ordered the release of the properties on April 3, 2025. On April 4, 2025, SOCU instituted five (5) counts of criminal charges for money laundering against Sebastiao De Olivera Moura in contravention of section 3(1)(c) of the AML/CFT Act.
On November 26, 2025, following an Order of then Honourable Chief Justice Roxane George dated November 25, 2025, SOCU returned the properties to the Respondents, but later re-seized them. Following the re-seizure of the assets on November 26, 2025, SOCU applied to the Court for a Detention Order to detain the said properties on the basis that they are tainted property and proceeds of crime; are derived from money laundering; that there is a real risk of the assets dissipating if not preserved; and that the assets are inextricably linked to and required as evidence in the ongoing criminal proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court.
Despite a heated court battle being led by defence attorneys Latchmie Rahamat and Naresh Poonai, the chief Justice in his decision granted the detention order for the properties, Chief Justice Singh ruled that “the fact is, the Property was physically returned as ordered by the Court. In addition, in ordering the release of the Property, Chief Justice George [as she then was] did not make a finding or adjudicate on whether or not the Property was tainted property. There being no such adjudication with respect to the Property, the Applicant is entitled to seize the Property under section 37A of the AMLFCTA.”
The Honourable Chief Justice further determined that the Respondents have not raised any viable defence to SOCU’s detention application, and that “the Applicant has set out cogent evidence demonstrating that it has reasonable grounds to seize the Property and is justified in seeking detention Orders for same.”
The Court awarded costs to SOCU in the sum of GY$500,000.00 to be paid on or before April 23, 2026.
SOCU was represented by Attorney-at-Law, Mr. David Brathwaite, while the Respondents were represented by Attorneys-at-Law, Mr. Naresh Poonai and Ms. Latchmie Rahamat. (SOCU press release)
The post Chief Justice grants order to SOCU to detain large quantities of gold and currency appeared first on News Room Guyana.
