On Monday, March 23, 2026, the Honourable Chief Justice (ag) Navindra Singh granted a Detention Order in favour of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), following an application under section 37A of Guyana’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act (AML/CFT Act).
The Order authorises SOCU to detain gold and currency belonging to Sebastiao De Olivera Moura and GAGO Gold Inc., including 4018.15 pennyweights of gold valued at over GY$80,911,765.00, and currency in the sum of GY$81,101,200.00.
The matter follows a joint operation on February 7, 2024, involving SOCU, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Guyana Gold Board (GGB), and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). At the time, SOCU obtained detention orders from the High Court to hold the properties until May 6, 2025.
However, before those orders expired, then Chief Justice Roxane George ordered the release of the properties on April 3, 2025. Shortly thereafter, on April 4, 2025, SOCU brought five counts of money laundering charges against Sebastiao De Olivera Moura under section 3(1)(c) of the AML/CFT Act.
SOCU later returned the properties to the respondents on November 26, 2025, in accordance with an order dated November 25, 2025 by then Chief Justice Roxane George. But the assets were subsequently re-seized on the same timeline, after which SOCU again applied to the court for detention under the argument that the properties are tainted property and proceeds of crime.
SOCU told the court the assets are derived from money laundering, face a real risk of dissipation without preservation, and are inextricably linked to evidence needed in ongoing criminal proceedings before the Magistrate’s Court.
Despite opposition from defence attorneys Latchmie Rahamat and Naresh Poonai, Chief Justice Singh ruled in favour of SOCU. The Chief Justice held that because the properties were physically returned without a determination on whether they were tainted, SOCU remained entitled to seize them under section 37A of the AML/CFT Act.
The court also found that the respondents did not present a viable defence to the detention application, determining that SOCU produced “cogent evidence” showing reasonable grounds for seizure and justification for seeking detention orders.
The court ordered costs to be paid to SOCU in the sum of GY$500,000, payable on or before April 23, 2026.
SOCU was represented by Attorney-at-Law David Brathwaite, while the respondents were represented by Attorneys-at-Law Naresh Poonai and Latchmie Rahamat.
