HGP Nightly News – Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Susan Rodrigues has issued a pointed statement accusing Azruddin Mohamed of mounting what she described as a coordinated effort to damage her reputation and deflect attention from his own legal troubles, including what she characterised as pending extradition.
Rodrigues said Mohamed has taken information that is publicly available and, in her words, twisted it to fit a narrative meant to discredit her. She reiterated that she owns assets locally and overseas, that these have been declared to the Integrity Commission, and that she can account for them. She also argued that, as a government minister, she is classified as a Politically Exposed Person (PEP) and is therefore subject to strict scrutiny by banks and financial institutions.
According to Rodrigues, this means she must provide proof of funds at every stage of financial activity and cannot deposit or transfer funds without documentary support. She described Mohamed’s claim that her assets are tied to corruption or illegal activity as libelous and false.
In the same statement, Rodrigues pointed to what she called the irony of Mohamed making such accusations, asserting that the Mohamed family has been accused by international organisations of serious wrongdoing, including drug trafficking, money laundering, gold smuggling and alleged links to Hezbollah and other terrorist organisations, and noting that there is a U.S. indictment.
Responding to Mohamed’s claim that she owns three Florida properties, Rodrigues addressed the listed addresses one by one. She said 3037 SW 179th Ave., Miramar, Florida is the home address of a Realtor who temporarily allowed her to use it as a mailing address. She said 3550 SW 124th Ave., Miramar, Florida belongs to Guyana’s Honorary Consul to Florida, and that both can be confirmed through public records.
As for 8601 NW 46th Ct., Lauderhill, Florida, Rodrigues said that property is owned by a company in which she holds shares. Rodrigues also rejected Mohamed’s assertion that she purchased the Lauderhill property outright on March 11, 2024. She said it was acquired through a mortgage from a U.S. financial institution, AD Mortgage, and stated that she has attached documentation including a 2024 annual tax and interest statement showing the date and value of the mortgage.
She added that the property is rented and that rental income is used to service the mortgage, arguing that these details form part of the public record in Florida and could have been checked. She further criticised what she described as Mohamed’s repeated attempts to compare her assets solely to her public service salary, calling it an unfair comparison that ignores how people use equity to access loans.
Rodrigues said, in addition to her salary, she receives rental income and also earns from family business proceeds. On questions raised about two properties in a private development at Peter’s Hall, Rodrigues said she is publishing Certificates of Title for Lots 1242 and 1243 to show that mortgages were obtained when the properties were purchased.
She also disputed claims about the home at Lot 946 Herstelling, where she currently resides, saying she has attached a Certificate of Title showing the rightful ownership and that the property was acquired in 2016, before she entered government.
Rodrigues also denied claims that she owns a gas station at 224 Camp and New Market Streets, Georgetown, stating that the site has been owned by Shell Antilles and Guianas Limited since 1962 and has never changed ownership.
She said the transport is a matter of public record and asserted that while her partner operates the establishment, they do not own the assets on the property. The minister said the allegations form what she described as a pattern of lies intended to confuse the public and distract from Mohamed’s own issues.
She maintained that she can produce evidence to defend her name, while insisting that Mohamed must answer for international reports and allegations she says surround his wealth and business dealings.
