BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
WIN Win Mining company has rebuffed claims that it hid its gold export from landowners of its tenement in Central Guadalcanal.
This follows claims by a Joel Jackson, a landowner in the Turarana lands which make up part of Win Win’s tenement, that the company had hidden its gold exports of 2019-2020 from them.
Jackson said Win Win company had lied to them about not being able to export gold from 2019-2020, and were stockpiling the gold it mined.
He said they only found out from Customs that the company had exported 78.47kg of alluvial gold from 2019-2020. This he said was done without the knowledge of landowners.
As such he said Turarana landowners are demanding that Winwin pays $2million in compensation.
However, responding to these claims, Managing Director of Win Win, Dan Shi said firstly, Jackson is not a landowner or member of Koehoto Landowners Association (KLA).
Shi said Jackson never attended any meeting held by KLA.
Therefore, he said Jackson has no legal standing to talk on behalf of KLA.
Further to that, Shi said the company has followed all requirements stipulated under the Mines and Mineral Act to do mining on the tenement.
He said the company has submitted a monthly report to the Director of Mines regarding the mining operation.
As part of sorting out the issue, he said the company is open to meet with Jackson rather than debating it in the media.
However, Jackson said he was an elected representative of his tribe, Garavu, in KLA.
He said KLA removed him because he was very outspoken against Win Win’s operation on the land.
Island Sun yesterday contacted the private Custom’s clearance firm which Win Win had reportedly engaged to declare its gold export, but the owner declined to comment, citing confidentiality of customer details.
Winwin mining company had last year made headlines when its camp was robbed by men disguised as police officers and made away with gold bars, $140,000 cash and 15 mobile phones from holed up workers.
Police have arrested the men and the case is currently before the courts.
