“You can’t want no corruption but defend those charged” – Teixeira schools Opposition MP 

Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira on Friday took on the We Invest In Nationhood (WIN) Opposition, calling out their duplicity in pushing for modern anti-corruption systems while defending their leader, US-sanctioned and indicted businessman Azruddin Mohamed, who is currently facing extradition for gold smuggling and money-laundering charges. During the National Assembly sitting on Friday afternoon, Opposition Chief Whip, WIN’s Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, posed a number of questions regarding the establishment of modern anti-corruption laws in Guyana. In response, Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira noted that Guyana currently has more than 15 pieces of legislation covering anti-corruption – all working as one mechanism, adding that the Government is continuously adding to and modernising its legislation.
“In our ongoing efforts to combat corruption, we will strengthen laws where needed, establish an anti-corruption unit, use technologies such as blockchain to add transparency, reduce bureaucracy and improve efficiency and fully enforce the information, access to information. So first of all, the impression is given that there is none [anti-corruption law]; there is, and it’s working. That’s what we’re charging people with corruption in the courts with. That’s why you have a number of cases in the courts, including one to do with a certain offender that is in the court right now to do with corruption. And I find it highly ironic that a Member of Parliament (MP) of that side that knows about the case and is sitting next to the person that’s involved in the case is raising an issue here about anti-corruption,” Teixeira contended.

Though she did not mention his name, the Minister was taking a clear jab at Opposition leader and WIN’s founder Azruddin Mohamed, who, along with his father Nazar Mohamed, is facing extradition to the US, where they have been charged in the Southern District of Florida. An 11-count grand jury indictment accuses them of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering in connection with alleged financial crimes involving gold exports. The Mohameds are currently fighting the extradition proceedings, which are ongoing in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
According to Teixeira, “…we must be strong [against] those who are brought before the courts, those who are brought before the courts on those same laws. You defend those people who have been corrupt. You’re coming here with two sides of your mouth… You can’t say we don’t want corruption, but when they’re charged, you’re backing them and protesting for them. You can’t have two sides of the law.” Teixeira defended the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s efforts to strengthen the country’s anti-corruption systems, saying, “We must be proud of what we’ve done in legislation in terms of fighting corruption.”
She noted that over the past year alone, there have been training programmes on digital transformation, institutional strengthening, enhancing collaboration between public and private sectors, public education, strengthening compliance and enforcement mechanisms, and international collaboration. Additionally, the Minister noted that they have also brought a number of digital platforms to improve transparency and accountability while engaging nearly 30 private sector bodies and various Government agencies to fight corruption and develop a culture of integrity.

Declarations of assets
In fact, on the issue of integrity, the Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister used the opportunity to call out the Opposition’s side for failing to submit their asset declarations to the Integrity Commission of Guyana for the period June 2024 to June 2025. A list of outstanding declarations that was recently published by the Integrity Commission named several former senior MPs attached to the A Partnership for National (APNU), which has been demoted to the minority Parliamentary Opposition following the September 2025 elections.
Those named by the Commission include APNU Leader and former Opposition Leader in the last Parliament, Aubrey Norton; former MP, Shurwayne Holder; former MP, Deonarine Ramsaroop; former MP, Dineshwar Jaiprashad; former MP, Jermaine Figueira; and Beverley Alert of the Alliance For Change (AFC), which had since been ousted from the Parliament.
“We talking about culture of integrity and serving as public officers. Please, some of you answer why you didn’t make your declarations to the Integrity Commission. Are you above the law? Are some of you about the law?”
“I’ve been around for a while; I find this highly amusing… we are governed by law. All of us MPs are governed by law. We’re the lawmakers, and we’re the law upholders of this country. That’s what the people of Guyana expect us to be. And when we enter this house as MPs, we have to declare our public declarations of our assets. Why are some members of this house not declaring to the Integrity Commission and coming here to ask about anti-corruption and corruption?” she asserted.
According to the Integrity Commission Act, all public officers in high office are required to file declarations of their assets as well as those held by their spouses and children. The law states that any public officer who fails to comply with the Commission is liable, upon summary conviction, to a fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for a period of not less than six months or more than one year.

International conventions
Guyana has signed onto and ratified international conventions, including the United Nations (UN) Convention Against Corruption and the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. Under these conventions, the country is legally bound to work towards incremental implementation of these treaties.
“There is no country in the world…that has been able to meet every benchmark of the UN Convention Against Corruption or the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. Those are treaties to which we have committed ourselves and are bound legally to respond to and to work towards. And so, we have shown progress in terms of the agencies that report on these – the Public Service Commission; the Integrity Commission; the Procurement Body, for example; the FIU (Financial Intelligence Agency); and the SOCU (Special Organised Crime Unit),” Teixeira stated.
In fact, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister noted that Guyana has recently undergone its second review by the UN Convention Against Corruption during which the country did well – something that will be reflected when the report comes out soon. “We are recognised [for doing well]… You don’t read the [reports]; that’s the problem… If you don’t believe me, it’s fine. Go on the sites and read the documents that are put out by these agencies in relation to Guyana’s performance at these levels,” Teixeira told the Opposition Parliamentarians.