PNCR’s Natasha Singh-Lewis joins forces with Azruddin Mohamed’s WIN

Former PNCR Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Natasha Singh-Lewis, who resigned in June with immediate effect from the PNC/R, citing her “duty to the people” as a key factor in her decision, is reportedly joining forces with the US-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed’s party, WIN.
On Saturday, Singh-Lewis said that she decided to add her voice and strength as a woman in politics to Mohamed.
Mohamed, who is sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for links to alleged gold smuggling and drug trafficking, was recently labelled a “Maduro-puppet” by US congressman Carlos Gimenez.
According to the US Government, Azruddin and Mohamed’s enterprise evaded Guyana’s tax on gold exports and defrauded the Guyanese Government of tax revenues by under-declaring their gold exports to Guyanese authorities.
Between 2019 and 2023, Mohamed’s Enterprise omitted more than 10,000 kilograms of gold from import and export declarations and avoided paying more than $50 million in duty taxes to the Government of Guyana, according to the US.
Mohamed’s enterprise has bribed customs officials to falsify import and export documents and facilitate illicit gold shipments. Mohamed’s Enterprise paid bribes to Guyanese Government officials to ensure the undisrupted flow of inbound and outbound personnel that move currency and other items on behalf of Azruddin and Mohamed’s Enterprise.
Mohamed is also currently embroiled in local charges of tax evasion and false declaration regarding a Lamborghini.
It is under these alleged criminal activities that Mohamed has since formed a party to contest Guyana’s General and Regional Elections due September 1 this year.
Singh-Lewis said that her decision to join WIN comes after what she described as a careful review of WIN’s manifesto and leadership team.