Acting Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane George today dismissed a lawsuit filed by former Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Calvin Brutus, who sought to compel the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to grant him a permit for a sand mining operation. In delivering her ruling, the Chief Justice also ordered Brutus to pay costs amounting to $250,000, to be settled by July 31, 2025.
The EPA was represented by attorneys Sanjeev Datadin, Niomi Alsopp, and Mohanie Anganoo, while Brutus was represented by attorney Earl Daniels.
Last year, the Government of Guyana pulled the plug on approval for Brutus’ sand mining venture. Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo had announced that the applications submitted by Brutus and Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken for sand mining operations along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway would not be granted.
Brutus and Hicken were reportedly allocated 11.7 acres each at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, and had submitted applications to the EPA seeking environmental authorization. Following the government’s decision to deny the permits, Brutus moved to the court in an attempt to compel the agency to approve his application.
Moreover, Brutus is currently facing over 240 criminal charges and remains under investigation for alleged misconduct during his tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Police from August 2020 to July 2024.
