Ukrainian nationals remanded for assaulting miners

Two Ukrainian nationals were remanded to prison on Tuesday for attacking and abusing two Guyanese gold miners at Quartz Stone Backdam, Cuyuni River.

Vitaly Paraschuck, a 38-year-old Camp Coordinator and Security Officer along with his colleague, Maksym Furtak, 33, a Manager, were separately charged with failure to wear their prescribed uniforms while on duty on August 3 at Quartz Stone Backdam.

They are employed by the West Bank Demerara Gold Inc.

The men pleaded not guilty to the charge before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

Paraschuck was further slapped with two counts of threatening behaviour and assault causing actual bodily harm to Guyanese miner Charles Clark on the same day in question. He denied the charges.

Meanwhile, Furtak was charged with making use of threatening behaviour towards Guyanese miner, Randolph Deane. He denied the charge.

The men were represented by Attorney-at-law Keoma Griffith, who requested bail, but Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield objected on the grounds that the foreign nationals do not have ties in Guyana.

The Prosecutor informed the court that Paraschuck cuffed Clark several times while Furtak brandished his firearm at Deen.

They were remanded to prison until August 23 and are due to re-appear at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

Meanwhile, the victim – Charles Clark – who is employed as a Security Officer at Hopkinson Mining, was charged with failure to wear his prescribed uniform.

The 33-year-old man of Blueberry, Wismar Linden denied the charge and was released on $20,000 bail. His matter was also transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for August 23.

It was initially reported that the men were Russians but a statement from the Guyana Police Force on Monday noted that the two nationals are from Ukraine but speak Russian.

The two foreign nationals were caught on video attacking and abusing the Guyanese gold miners. The Ministry of Natural Resources had ordered an immediate probe into the incident.

According to the Ministry, the video clearly shows the foreign national “behaving in an aggressive, hostile and condescending manner” towards the Guyanese.