By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
While attention remains fixed on the fate of incoming Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, political analyst GHK Lall is questioning why former Permanent Secretary Mae Toussaint Thomas, who was also sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department alongside Mohamed and his father Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, has not been indicted.
Lall’s remarks come amid growing speculation about how the Guyana Government will respond to Mohamed’s indictment by a U.S. Southern District of Florida grand jury on 11 counts of mail and wire fraud and money laundering, related to a June 2024 gold shipment valued at US$5.3 million that was intercepted at Miami International Airport.
Thomas, who once served as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, was similarly sanctioned in June 2024 for allegedly using her office to facilitate the Mohameds through the issuance of contracts, passports, and firearm licences. However, Lall noted that no indictment has followed in her case, even though she resigned from the People’s Progressive Party and was placed on administrative leave.
“I am concerned about Mr. Mohamed the younger because he is the parliamentary entrant in waiting — the Leader of the Opposition as stated. The Permanent Secretary, Ms. Thomas, was sanctioned along with the Mohameds, but startlingly she is not among the two indictees named,” Lall observed.
The political commentator further questioned whether the government might delay the convening of the 13th Parliament, pending the outcome of Mohamed’s legal battle in the United States.
“Mr. Mohamed says he will fight with all he has — good luck to him. But will he be allowed that opportunity, or will it be snatched away from his hands as Opposition Leader?” Lall queried.
He suggested that Mohamed’s case could face prolonged litigation, possibly extending to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which may affect the timeline for parliamentary sittings.
“Mr. Mohamed has the assets and seems determined to go to the CCJ, and that could take some time. If Parliament is not convened before November 2, what then?” Lall asked, implying that political maneuvering may already be in play.
Lall also pointed to what he described as the “shifting position” of the U.S. government regarding Mohamed’s political role. He recalled that U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot initially warned that Mohamed’s sanction status could have implications for Guyana’s international business environment, but later indicated Washington would “work around the situation.”
Meanwhile, WIN Executive Member Tabitha Sarabo-Halley defended Mohamed’s right to serve, emphasizing that the Constitution of Guyana provides no grounds for disqualifying a Member of Parliament based on a foreign indictment.
“The qualifications and disqualifications for Members of Parliament are clearly set out in Articles 155 and 156. An indictment is not among them,” Sarabo-Halley stated.
She added that the Leader of the Opposition is selected through a political process among non-governmental members of the National Assembly, and that Parliament remains constitutionally intact and fully functional, regardless of Mohamed’s legal troubles.
