GRA fires manager, employees over illegal vehicle transfers for US-indicted Azruddin Mohamed

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force (GPF), has initiated steps to bring legal proceedings against United States-indicated Azruddin Mohamed, who is the Leader of the Opposition (LOO), along with several employees of the authority, for breaches of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act.
On Tuesday, the GRA said the actions relate to conduct contrary to Section 3(1)(a) of the AML/CFT Act, which criminalises money laundering where a person knowingly, or having reasonable grounds to believe, converts or transfers property that represents the proceeds of crime, with the intent to conceal or disguise its illicit origin. GRA also cited Section 3(4) of the Act, which states that a conviction for a serious offence is not required to establish that property is the proceeds of crime.
According to the GRA, despite being aware that Mohamed, who is currently fighting extradition from Guyana, has been sanctioned and indicted by the United States for alleged fraud, customs violations, and money laundering, and that restrictions had been imposed, certain employees of the authority acted in concert to transfer motor vehicles registered in Mohamed’s name to other individuals. GRA said these transfers were done in a manner contrary to statutory provisions and established procedures.
As a result, the services of the implicated employees, along with their manager, have been terminated.
The GRA reiterated its call for members of the public to report any illicit or unlawful activities, assuring that all information will be treated with strict confidentiality and that informants may be rewarded in accordance with the law.
Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, were indicted in 2024 by a grand jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on multiple criminal charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. The charges are linked primarily to gold exports to the United States through Mohamed’s Enterprise. US prosecutors allege that the pair conspired to defraud the Governments of Guyana and the United States between 2017 and June 2024.
The indictments allege that the scheme involved evasion of taxes and royalties on gold exports, including the reuse of Guyana Customs declarations and official seals to falsely indicate that payments had been made. US authorities claim the alleged conduct resulted in more than US$50 million in lost taxes and royalties to the Government of Guyana.
The US Government has also submitted an extradition request for the Mohameds and is seeking forfeiture of certain assets connected to the case. Prior to the indictments, both men were sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Locally, Azruddin Mohamed has been linked to several matters, including alleged tax evasion and the under-declaration of a luxury vehicle.
If convicted in the US, several of the charges carry potential prison sentences of up to 20 years, along with substantial fines.