VP ORDERS LOCAL PROBE INTO MOHAMED FAMILY GOLD SMUGGLING ALLEGATIONS — CRITICS SAY “CAT WATCHING MILK”
More than eight years after gold smuggling allegations first surfaced, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) have now been instructed to investigate the Mohamed family — but the decision has drawn sharp criticism from observers who say the move risks being a case of “the cat watching the milk.”
Despite a U.S. federal indictment naming both GRA and government officials as alleged collaborators in a gold smuggling network linked to Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday ordered a local investigation, notably bypassing Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken.
“The GRA, the Police… as well as the PPP,” Jagdeo said, adding that his administration would “let the chips fall where they may.”
The U.S. indictment accuses the Mohameds of wire and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and tax evasion tied to gold exports and the importation of a luxury Lamborghini. In one major case, U.S. authorities seized US$5.3 million in gold bars at Miami International Airport on June 11, 2024, a shipment allegedly originating from Mohamed’s Enterprise in Guyana.
“I expect massive sums of taxes will be involved,” Jagdeo noted, hinting that local revenue losses could be substantial.
The United States is expected to seek the extradition of both Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed. Attorney General Anil Nandlall has indicated that Guyana will comply with any formal request.
If convicted, the Mohameds could face up to 20 years in prison per count on the 11-count indictment.
For now, attention turns to whether the local probe will be transparent and independent — or, as critics suggest, another test of Guyana’s political will to confront corruption within its own ranks.
