Despite U.S. indictments, Mohamed focuses on political narrative

Guyana’s incoming opposition leader, Azzruddin Mohamed, has not directly addressed the U.S. indictments filed against him and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, but instead issued a statement emphasizing political challenges and his commitment to serve the Guyanese people.

The indictments, filed in the Southern District of Florida, allege wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering related to gold exports and luxury vehicle imports. Prosecutors claim the Mohamed family—owners of Mohamed’s Enterprise, a major gold exporter in Guyana—misrepresented gold shipments to evade taxes and deliberately undervalued a Lamborghini imported to Guyana in 2020, avoiding over US$383 million in taxes. Asset forfeiture and potential prison terms are also part of the case.

Hours after the U.S. indictments were made public, Mohamed issued a statement on social media. While he noted there were legal constraints on how much he could share at this time, he said, “I am permitted to say this much in the interim; the leadership of the PPP has been advancing a sustained narrative against the Mohameds aimed at discrediting us. Make no mistake; this is not just a personal attack; this is political; this is a fear tactic.”

Mohamed highlighted his party’s recent electoral performance, noting, “My emergence into Parliament after campaigning for only three months sends a clear message of how quickly our movement has changed the political landscape in Guyana.”

He questioned why the PPP, which holds a majority, has delayed convening the 13th Parliament.

Mohamed also alleged misuse of public funds by the administration, saying, “This administration misused public funds – 300,000 USD – to hire a U.S. lobby firm whose sole purpose is to smear and marginalise political opponents; in this instance, their sole purpose is to target the Mohameds and, in their attacks, paint a false narrative about us. Now you know the purpose of the nearly 63 million GYD wasted on a lobby firm – political persecution – and that money could have been used to uplift the people.”

Addressing the sustained pressure against him, Mohamed declared, “The constant attacks, whether directly or indirectly, are to weaken me, with hopes that if they hit hard enough, I will cower and retreat. Truth be told, if I rid myself of my political ambitions, these attacks will cease, but I, Azruddin Mohamed, leader of We Invest in Nationhood and Leader of the Opposition (Elect), reaffirm my commitment to you, the Guyanese people. I will continue to stand up and fight, no matter the cost.”

He concluded by thanking supporters and reaffirming his resolve.

While the U.S. legal proceedings carry potentially severe consequences, Mohamed’s statement notably focused on the political landscape, his party’s achievements, and his role as opposition leader-elect, rather than the specifics of the U.S. indictments.