GEORGETOWN – Attorney General Anil Nandlall, has publicly ridiculed claims that the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) engineered the U.S. indictment of city businessmen Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed. The AG asserted that the notion that the government could influence the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is “outrageous” and the product of a “delusional” mind.
Speaking on his social media programme, Issues In The News on Tuesday, Nandlall provided crucial background on the fraud and money laundering charges faced by the father-son duo. He noted that the 11-count indictment, unsealed on Monday, linked the charges, which include wire and mail fraud, and money laundering, to a period spanning 2017 to 2024.
Nandlall stressed that the time frame proves the investigation into the Mohameds’ gold exports and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury car “commenced long before the PPP got into office.” He stated: “What that means is that this process commenced long before the PPP got into office. In fact, it spanned two governments of Guyana and two governments of the United States.”
Political Persecution Claims Rubbished
The indictment came just weeks after Azruddin Mohamed’s WIN Party secured 16 National Assembly seats, making him the presumptive Opposition Leader. Mohamed had publicly claimed that the U.S. actions were “personal” and motivated by the PPP/C viewing him as a growing political threat.
Nandlall rubbished this accusation, pointing to the Mohameds’ own previous ties to the ruling party. He asked how the PPP/C could be accused of being part of a process of “political persecution” when the Mohameds “had enjoyed close relations with the PPPC” during much of the period in which the offenses were allegedly committed.
He added: “One has to be delusional to entertain that kind of thinking.”
No Immunity for MP’s
Nandlall also offered a stark legal warning to the WIN leader and the Opposition regarding the fight ahead. He firmly stated that becoming a parliamentarian, or even the Leader of the Opposition, offers no protection from the charges.
“Membership in the National Assembly of Guyana and any other attendant post that one may hold in that regard confers no type of legal immunity against charge or prosecution of any criminal offence under the laws of Guyana or the laws of the United States of America,” he said.
The Mohameds, who have denied wrongdoing, face catastrophic legal consequences if found guilty, with a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment on each count and massive fines, highlighting the seriousness of the charges involving allegedly defrauding the GRA of taxes and using their gold export firm, Mohamed’s Enterprises, in an illicit scheme.
While Azruddin Mohamed claims the offenses were committed in Guyana and vows to fight any extradition request in court, Nandlall’s dismissal of his political motive claims reinforces the government’s stance: the process is purely legal and foreign-driven.
