HGP Nightly News – Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed is calling for an investigation into more than G$12 billion in government contracts reportedly awarded to Sigma Engineers Ltd Inc., while the company has rejected his allegations, defended the procurement process and announced that it intends to pursue legal action.
Mohamed raised questions about the company’s registration, ownership, political connections and receipt of contracts from Guyana Water Incorporated in a video statement on Monday.
Sigma subsequently described his assertions as serious misrepresentations and said it had retained legal counsel.
“Given the nature of the statements made, Sigma Engineers Ltd Inc. has engaged legal counsel and intends to pursue appropriate legal action,” the company stated.
At the centre of the dispute is when Sigma began operating and receiving government contracts in Guyana.
Mohamed claimed that the company was incorporated locally on October 6, 2022, and received approximately G$3.7 billion in contracts within days. He argued that the reported speed of those awards warranted closer examination.
Sigma confirmed the October 6 registration date but strongly disputed the remainder of that account.
According to the company, Sigma Engineers Ltd has operated in Bangladesh since 2003. Its Guyanese entity, Sigma Engineers Ltd Inc., reportedly received its first local contract in 2026 following a national competitive-bidding process administered through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board.
The competing statements therefore present substantially different timelines. Neither party included the complete contract-award records in its public statement to conclusively establish when Sigma received its first Guyanese contract.
Mohamed also alleged that the company is connected to President Irfaan Ali’s brother, whom he identified as Muhammad Akhtar Ali. He claimed financial records showed an association between Ali and Sigma and questioned whether political connections influenced the company’s success in public procurement.
Sigma said an individual it named as “Mohamed Aqtar Ali” works with its Guyanese operation as a senior technical consultant but has no affiliation with the company in Bangladesh.
The company did not state whether that consultant is the President’s brother or respond directly to the allegation that the relationship provided it with political influence.
Mohamed further claimed that Canadian businessman Tamjid Roughman formally incorporated the Guyanese company and that Canadian imam Junaid Bayat later became a director. He questioned Bayat’s reported appointment, saying he had no known professional background in engineering or water infrastructure.
Sigma’s statement did not address the reported roles of Roughman and Bayat.
The Opposition Leader alleged that Sigma received contracts for water-treatment facilities at Caledonia, Cummings Lodge, Bachelor’s Adventure, Hope, Leguan and Wakenaam, together with potable-water well projects across Regions Three, Four and Six.
He also claimed that engineers had raised concerns with him about the pricing of some projects. No engineering assessments or independent valuations were included in his statement to substantiate that allegation.
Mohamed additionally questioned whether Sigma had benefited from contract variations and alleged that work on some projects was delayed or had not commenced.
Sigma did not respond separately to the claims about the number and value of its contracts, project pricing, variation orders or reported delays. It said further information concerning its operations and the issues raised would be provided at an appropriate time.
Another allegation concerned land at Eccles, which Mohamed claimed had been made available for a bond connected to the company. He contrasted that reported allocation with the difficulties some citizens face in obtaining land.
Sigma did not address the land allegation in its statement.
Mohamed called on the Special Organised Crime Unit, Financial Intelligence Unit and other relevant bodies to investigate the company’s ownership, the procurement process and the movement of public funds.
“Follow the contracts, follow the procurement process, follow the money,” he urged.
Sigma maintained that its Guyanese contract was secured through competitive bidding and that the company conducts its operations in accordance with the country’s laws and regulations.
It said it remains committed to professionalism, accountability and integrity and argued that public discussion about businesses operating in Guyana should be grounded in accurate, verifiable information.
No competent authority has publicly announced an investigation or made a finding of wrongdoing against Sigma, its representatives or any government official in relation to Mohamed’s allegations.
The Opposition Leader’s claims therefore remain allegations, while Sigma’s account of its procurement history and corporate relationships has not been independently tested through an official investigation or the publication of the complete records.
GWI, NPTAB, President Ali and the individuals identified by Mohamed have not publicly addressed all the specific issues raised. Their responses, along with the underlying incorporation and procurement documents, would be necessary to provide a fuller account of the contracts and relationships under dispute.
