Azruddin Mohamed, leader of the We Invest in Nationhood Party (WIN) and incoming opposition leader, said Central Bank Governor Gobind Ganga advised him there should be no issue with reinstating the bank accounts of WIN members and told him how to proceed.
In an interview with Guyana Standard, Mohamed said he had reached out to Ganga to enquire about the new state of affairs, and that Ganga advised him to have his lawyer write to the commercial banks that had closed the accounts of WIN members.
“I called the governor. I asked him what is the position with the bank accounts. He told me [let my lawyers] write to the different banks asking them to reinstate or open back the accounts, etc, because they will be working with the government and they have to receive their money,” Mohamed said.
The WIN leader disclosed that more than 70 accounts belonging to candidates of his party have been closed. He noted that one candidate even recently received a letter from a foreign-owned bank operating in Guyana, confirming the closure of their account.
Some of those affected are teachers, nurses and other ordinary professionals, Mohamed said, stressing that reinstating these accounts is important so members can carry out their daily lives and responsibilities without disruption.
The WIN leader also said he needs an account specifically for the purpose of receiving his salary as opposition leader once parliament reopens. He specified that this account would serve that sole purpose. “We ain’t want nothing extra come into this account. Just that money to come in, take it out and use.”
In 2024, the United States sanctioned Mohamed and his companies over allegations that he defrauded the government of tax revenue and bribed public officials. Several commercial banks in Guyana responded by closing Mohamed’s personal accounts, as well as those of candidates affiliated with WIN when their names were gazetted by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Despite this and other challenges, Mohamed led the party to get approximately 25% of votes in the 2025 General and Regional elections, securing 16 seats in parliament. He is expected to take his seat as Opposition Leader when the Parliament opens.
