GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The presidential candidate for the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed, Thursday accused the state of political prosecution after he was accused of attempting to obstruct the course of justice in a matter involving one of his party’s activists.
Presidential candidate for the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin MohamedMohamed, who was released from police custody without any charges or bail being required, told reporters that he is committed to making himself available to the police should the need arise.
“This is a clear case of political prosecution, a clear case. I hope the Carter Center and all the different observers are taking note of what is going on,” Mohamed told reporters flanked by his attorneys, Siand Dhurjon and Damien Da Silva.
In May, the US sanctioned billionaire businessman, announced his intention to contest the September1 regional and president elections.
Earlier this week, he was nominated as the president candidate of his party and will go up against the incumbent, Dr. Irfaan Ali of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and Aubrey Norton of the main opposition coalition Party, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Nigel Hughes of the Alliance for Change (AFC).
In a statement, the police said that a 29-year-old female sale representative from the East Bank Demerara had reported to them that on July 14, she was beaten and assaulted by Bradley Sampson, aka, “Doggy”.
The police said that the woman had indicated she was employed by Sampson, “a key organiser in the political party led by Azruddin Mohamed… to perform certain tasks on Nominations Day for the said WIN party, and in return thereof, Sampson promised to pay her fifty thousand dollars.
The police said that when the woman went to collect payment, Sampson paid only GUY$10,000, and that “an argument erupted during which Sampson dealt her several kicks and cuffs about her body and lashed her with a gun to her head, causing her to receive multiple injuries.
“The woman informed the police that most of the incident was captured on video and shared widely on social media. She stated that Sampson later called her via Facebook Messenger and requested for her to meet him at Azruddin Mohamed’s house at Green Field, East Bank Demerara. As requested, that afternoon, she met with Mohamed, Sampson, and other persons at the said location. “
The woman claimed that she was “detained against her will at the premises by several armed security guards in excess of an hour,” and that “Mohamed shouted at her angrily when he learnt that the video of the incident with Sampson was already on Facebook”.
The police statement said that the woman said “Mohamed instructed her not to pursue the matter against Sampson, to accompany Sampson to the police station, and to inform the police that she is withdrawing all complaints against Sampson; and in consideration thereof, he will pay to her GUY$500,000”
She said she was also threatened by “one of the guards at the premises” and that “he then raised his jersey and showed her a black handgun that was tucked in his waist.
“This resulted in her being fearful for her life. Eventually, she was permitted to leave the premises,” and according to the police statement she was again asked not to pursue the matter.
The police said as a result, a “wanted bulletin was issued” for Sampson and that the police “ considered the allegations which have been made against Mr. Azruddin Mohamed and his security guards to be of a serious nature and may involve the commission of several serious criminal offences, including attempting to pervert the course of justice.
“As a result, and in compliance with the Police’s lawful duties under the Police Act and other relevant legislation, the Police attempted to contact Mr. Mohamed last night at the said premises for the purpose of investigating the grave allegations made against him. Additionally, the Police had video evidence that Sampson was at the said premises”.
The police said Mohamed “turned himself in at the Ruimveldt Police Station, in the company of his attorney-at-law and is currently assisting the Police with the ongoing investigations”.
But Mohamed has denied the allegations, telling reporters that he only reached out to the woman, to apologize on behalf of himself and party and that he is completely against violence against women.
Attorney DaSilva said even if the allegations were true, settlements are not illegal.
“In cases where people reached out to the VC (virtual complaint) to settle a matter, that’s quite normal. But the allegation in this case is that he would have paid her GUY$500,000 to not pursue the matter.
“Mr. Mohamed has denied all allegations at this point but I am saying, in cases, in which people reached out to the VC to settle before any legal steps are taken, that is quite normal,” Da Silva said.
The other attorney, Dhurjon told reporters that there is no real offence.
“The allegation against him discloses really no known offence to law. The allegation, its length and breadth is that he allegedly offered someone money, GUY$500,000 to settle a grievance with a third party. Now, there is nothing nefarious about that. In fact, across the length of this country, courts would encourage parties, y’all talk about it, y’all try to settle it,” he said.
Dhurjon said after claiming that it had received a statement from the complainant, the police, for hours, were unable to make any contact with the alleged complainant.
“We listened as the police called and called for three hours today. They called her phone, no answer. They went as far to go to her address, no luck. So, this is a woman, who the police claimed gave a statement, but here she is, she is unwilling today, to have a confrontation with my client,” he said, adding it is clear that his client is being targeted.
“We have never, in the history of this country, seen a government so shiveringly afraid of one man. We have seen allegations of murder being pelted, we have seen allegations of rape being heaped, allegations of drug trafficking, tax fraud, gold smuggling. I mean there is no limit to the allegations, the lengths, the depths to which this government will go. It is frightening,” Dhurjon said.
In June last year, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it had sanctioned members of one of Guyana’s wealthiest families, a Guyana government official as well as a company for their roles in public corruption in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
In addition to imposing the sanctions on Nazar Mohamed, his son, Azruddin, their company, Mohamed’s Enterprise, and government official, Mae Thomas, OFAC has designated two other entities, Hadi’s World and Team Mohamed’s Racing Team, for being owned or controlled by Mohamed’s Enterprise and Azruddin, respectively.
The US authorities say gold is one of Guyana’s main exports, but it remains a highly fractured industry with small-scale gold mining operations in Guyana occupying a majority share of the country’s gold production.
They said Azruddin and Mohamed’s Enterprise evaded Guyana’s tax on gold exports and defrauded the Guyanese government of tax revenues by under declaring their gold exports to Guyanese authorities.
Between 2019 and 2023, Mohamed’s Enterprise omitted more than 10 thousand kilograms of gold from import and export declarations and avoided paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes to the government of Guyana, the US authorities claim.
