As regulatory authorities such as the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) continue their probe of sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government will keep arm’s length approach.
Vice President and PPP/C General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo gave this assurance on Thursday. He assured that the party will not go hunting for updates from these agencies since Mohamed is now a political opponent.
At his press conference, it was recalled that the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin for alleged corruption, including gold smuggling. Since then, tlocal authorities have been working with U.S. authorities to gather information relating to the alleged offences.
With this in mind, Jagdeo was asked whether the government intends to use any of the evidence received from the U.S. to formally bring a case against Mohamed before the elections. He responded, “The information of the criminality of the Mohameds that they have exists independent of what we think or whether we agree with it or not.
“The United States Ambassador to Guyana said, ‘We have a mountain load of evidence to support the OFAC sanctions when those were announced against the Mohameds.”
The Vice President reminded that government agencies had reached out to the U.S., and in return, the Treasury Department supplied GRA with an invoice for a Lamborghini owned by Azruddin Mohamed. That invoice reportedly revealed a significant under-declaration of the true cost of the vehicle.
“GRA filed a charge for false declaration against him…they gave him an option to pay the additional taxes. He refused to pay it…,” Jagdeo said.
While that matter is ongoing and there continues to be an exchange of intelligence between Guyana and the US, the General Secretary made it clear that the law will be allowed to take its natural course, adding that there would be no political interference.
