Gov’t Silent on U.S. Sanctions Against May Thomas – Opposition Alleges Complicity
By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News
HGP Nightly News – The Government of Guyana is coming under increasing pressure to respond to serious corruption allegations against former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Labour, Mae Thomas, who was sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on June 11, 2024.
Thomas, along with prominent gold dealers Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin Mohamed, was accused of participating in a wide-ranging scheme that allegedly evaded over US$50 million in taxes on more than 10,000 kilograms of gold exports.
The U.S. Treasury alleges that Thomas misused her public office to offer benefits—including contracts, weapons permits, and passport approvals—to Mohamed’s business interests in exchange for cash payments and high-value gifts.
Despite the severity of the charges and the international attention they have drawn, the Government of Guyana has remained largely silent on whether any local investigation into Thomas’ alleged misconduct will be pursued.
Speaking at a recent press conference, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton criticized the government’s lack of transparency:
“The Mae Thomas issue is a clear indication that the government protects its operatives in crime and only acts when compelled by the international community.”
Norton further argued that the government is unlikely to take action against Thomas because of the risk of self-incrimination:
“The government itself is complicit in these crimes. Therefore, they cannot go after anybody without implicating themselves.”
It was revealed that in 2023, Thomas was stopped during transit at Miami International Airport and subjected to a secondary inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Her cell phone was seized, she was interrogated, and her U.S. visa was later revoked.
Following the U.S. sanctions, the Government of Guyana placed Thomas on administrative leave with immediate effect, stating only that it was “gathering more information.”
However, the opposition maintains that this action is too little, too late, and fails to reflect a serious commitment to anti-corruption.
As international scrutiny intensifies, the public now watches to see whether the government will pursue accountability—or continue to protect those within its ranks.
