After 9 months of waiting: Guyana finally receives evidence for charges against US-sanctioned Mohameds – AG

Some nine months after requesting the relevant information and documentation from the United States Government, local authorities have now gathered sufficient evidence on the gold smuggling and tax evasion claims against a US-sanctioned local business family, the Mohameds.
This was revealed by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, S.C., on the sidelines of a joint press conference between President Dr Irfaan Ali and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State House on Thursday.
Back in June 2024, the US sanctioned Guyanese businessmen Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed, along with their businesses: Mohamed’s Enterprise; its subsidiary, Hadi’s World; and Team Mohamed’s Racing Team, over gold smuggling and public corruption allegations.
According to the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Mohamed’s Enterprise smuggled some 10,000 kilogrammes of gold out of Guyana between 2019 and 2023, thus avoiding paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes.
The Guyana Government had subsequently written to the US Department of Justice (DoJ), requesting additional information to assist local investigations on the allegations of falsification of import and export documents, evasion of taxes, and bribery of customs and government officials to facilitate illicit gold shipments, and the award of government contracts.
In addition, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) had also requested information, dating back to 2015, from the US’ Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
AG Nandlall told reporters on Thursday that the local law enforcement agencies, including the Guyana Police Force (GPF) as well as the GRA, have since received a ‘sufficient volume’ of evidence to take action against the businessmen.
“The law enforcement agencies in Guyana, along with the Guyana Revenue Authority, have expressed the opinion that they have sufficient volume of evidence, information, data, documents…to proceed [and] act upon it. GRA, I suppose, will act upon the allegations of tax evasion. The Guyana Police Force, through its appropriate departments, will act upon other aspects of the data or evidence…So, that will take place shortly,” Nandlall stated.
According to the Attorney General, while his Chambers and the Ministry of Home Affairs had facilitated the exchange of information between the two countries, this is an ongoing investigation, and the local authorities are continuing to work with the US on this matter.
“We have received a large volume of information, [but] the process is still ongoing. We are supplying information and they are supplying information; it’s a fluid process. But we did make a commitment, as a government, since last year, that actions would be taken by the relevant state agencies in Guyana once we have received a sufficient volume of information… [and] after several months, we have reached that stage,” Nandlall stated.
“They are going to act. They have formally communicated that to the Government of Guyana, and I presume that they would be acting anytime now,” AG Nandlall stated.
In addition to the Mohameds, the US had also sanctioned former Permanent Secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry, Mae Thomas, for public corruption. The Attorney General was asked whether Thomas, who was moved to the Labour Ministry before being sent on administrative leave since June last year, would also be facing charges.
“I cannot speak for the law enforcement agencies nor the Guyana Revenue Authority, but I have no doubt that their approach would be one that is objective and would be evidence-driven. I have no reason to think otherwise,” Nandlall contended.
The Attorney General went on to dismiss any assertions that this new development is political, given Azruddin Mohamed’s apparent political aspirations.
In OFAC’s June 11, 2024 sanctions, Under-Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E. Nelson, said, “Today’s action underscores our commitment to holding accountable those who seek to exploit Guyana’s underdeveloped gold sector for personal gain…Treasury, in close coordination with our partners in U.S. law enforcement, will continue to take action to safeguard the U.S. financial system from abuse by corrupt actors.”
Meanwhile, during his weekly press conference on Thursday, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed that the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) – the white-collar arm of the Police Force – along with several government agencies, have been investigating the US allegations and found much more glaring evidence.
“What was announced in the OFAC sanctions, where the US said 10,000 kilogrammes [of gold] exported and US$50 million in evaded taxes, it’s just the tip of the iceberg… [from] the investigations that have been done internally since last year, because we took the sanctions seriously. Sanctions are serious business, and we made it clear that we were not going to put Guyana at risk, the people of Guyana – their livelihoods – because we wanted to protect one family that was smuggling gold and doing other illegal things,” the VP stated.
According to Jagdeo, “This is not persecution. It is facing the consequences for criminal activities that you engaged in in the past. And the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) can’t help you with that one.”
Following the sanctions, the Guyana Government, through various state agencies along with the local commercial banks, had cut ties with the Mohameds.