– calls out Azruddin Mohamed for misleading public on US sanctions
–warns of repercussions those affiliated will continue to battle
EMBATTLED businessman Azruddin Mohamed has been called out by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo for masking the grave reality of the United States (US) sanctions that have been imposed on him, his father Nazar Mohamed and their businesses.
During a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, Georgetown, Dr. Jagdeo opined that the businessman, now turned politician, is spewing a “series of lies.”
Based on numerous news reports quoting the businessman and online videos circulating of him speaking, Mohamed has attempted to paint the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury as a political ploy.
Azruddin, along with his father, Nazar Mohamed and their businesses, namely Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World and Team Mohamed’s Racing, on June 11, 2024, were sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which oversees sanctions against individuals and entities tied to illicit activities and hostile foreign governments.
In a June 2024 statement, the OFAC stated, “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 kilogrammes of gold from import-and-export declarations and avoided paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes to the Government of Guyana.”
“He is mentioned in the sanction; he’s number one. When it says designating, it means you are sanctioned,” Dr. Jagdeo emphasised as he read from the OFAC statement on Thursday.
As a result of the OFAC sanctions, the Mohameds’ business licences were revoked, and their bank accounts were closed.
Dr. Jagdeo accused Azruddin of attempting to seek sympathy by parading as a victim of political persecution all while he continues to expose those in his political party, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), to risks.
The PPP General Secretary who also serves as Guyana’s Vice-President slammed the presidential hopeful for comparing his serious sanctions to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Guyanese President Dr. Irfaan Ali.
“Modi was never OFAC sanctioned, never. Irfaan Ali was not sanctioned by any foreign government. It’s APNU who put the 19 charges vindictively against him. So, he (Mohamed) shifts the focus from himself to other people…It’s a total lie,” Dr. Jagdeo said.
Dr. Jagdeo further highlighted the repercussions of the US sanctions, which includes the closure of bank accounts.
Several local banks- Demerara Bank, GBTI, Citizens Bank, and the New Building Society- in an attempt to prevent financial collapse, have closed the accounts belonging to candidates of Mohamed’s WIN’s party.
Dr. Jagdeo also strongly dismissed the baseless and mischievous claim that several government ministers will be hit by sanctions.
“It’s a lie. No PPP minister is on any sanction list or to be sanctioned,” Dr. Jagdeo said.
