Caption: Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, right, watches as members of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) search his business in the capital. CMC photo
Summary
- Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed says a SOCU operation at his Enterprise business is politically motivated after his recent Parliament comments about financing the PPP/C.
- SOCU says it uncovered evidence of illegal cambio operations and seized items now under forensic and financial investigation.
- Mohamed says SOCU seized nearly G$2 million, documents and a relative’s firearm, and he denies illegal activity, calling the move “persecution.”
GEORGETOWN – Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed says he is not surprised that the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said on Wednesday it discovered illegal cambio operations at Mohamed’s Enterprise.
“I think it’s because of the speech in Parliament—this is the outcome—but whatever I’m saying is the truth. I have no need to lie about anything,” Mohamed said. He told the National Assembly last Friday that he helped finance the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
SOCU said the discovery was made during a targeted joint law enforcement operation at the establishment, following the receipt of “credible information”. During the operation, officers said they uncovered evidence of illegal financial operations and other materials believed to be linked to unlawful activities. SOCU said all items seized are subject to active forensic and financial investigation, and that several individuals are assisting with ongoing enquiries.
SOCU said investigations remain active and further enforcement action will be taken where the evidence warrants.
“This action forms part of an intensified national and regional security strategy aimed at disrupting organised criminal networks engaged in gold smuggling, illicit financial flows, unlicensed money exchange operations and related serious offences,” SOCU said.
Mohamed said police seized just under G$2 million (One Guyana dollar = US$0.004) and several boxes of documents related to gold trading, as well as the personal firearm belonging to one of his relatives.
He said one relative and an employee were taken to a police station by SOCU at the end of the 30-minute search.
He said the money seized was being used to help the less fortunate.
“They didn’t find any gold, didn’t find any drugs, they didn’t find any large amount of money. All they found was a couple hundred dollars that we would help beggars with on a daily basis,” he said. Mohamed added that this was the first search of the Mohamed premises since the US sanctions.
Mohamed, along with his billionaire businessman father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for allegedly smuggling more than 10,000 kilogrammes of gold worth more than US$50 million and failing to pay relevant taxes to the Guyana government.
Last October, a US federal grand jury unsealed an 11-count indictment against the Mohameds for alleged wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. The US has since requested Mohamed’s extradition to face trial. The extradition matter is now before the local courts.
In a video of the SOCU search posted on Team Mohamed’s Facebook page, a man is seen reading from a document alleging that the Mohameds had precious minerals, local and foreign currency, electronic documents and financial records at the building, to assist in a money-laundering investigation.
In the video, a man is heard telling Mohamed that a dog at the scene was trained to locate firearms, narcotics and cash. He then informed Mohamed that the prayer area would not be searched, to which the Opposition Leader replied: “You sure you don’t want to search the masjid? (President) Irfaan Ali used to come and pray in that same masjid.”
“Sheer political persecution in this country just because I am standing up to the PPP for the people of this country—this is what I am going through,” Mohamed said, urging the search party to search other places.
