GUYANA’S interests will always take precedence over individual agendas, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Bharrat Jagdeo has said.
This was a direct response to US-sanctioned businessman Nazar Mohamed, who made allegations of unfair treatment towards him, although it would entail putting the country in a precarious position just for his businesses.
Jagdeo, during a press conference on Thursday, related that defying the sanctions by the US Treasury Department would jeopardise the stability of the country.
“We could shut down the entire financial system if the Mohameds had continued owning a Cambio licence. The banks cut all ties. Just imagine if they would continue allowing the Mohameds to do business with them; they could be subjected to US sanctions,” Jagdeo firmly stated.

Mohamed, in a video release, said that he has longstanding ties with the ruling PPP/C, and therefore, he does not understand where what he labelled as “hostility” from the government is coming from.
In a 12-minute video, Mohamed made several claims, and General Secretary Jagdeo sharply responded to all.

The narrative by Mohamed, according to Jagdeo, could be seen as an attempt to paint himself as a victim of the PPP/C while dodging the fact that he and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, and their businesses, are sanctioned by the US.
Jagdeo said: “The government cannot do business with the Mohameds. It exposes us to the risks of sanctions, not because we are vindictive or we hate them, but they’re the ones who got sanctioned because of the investigation. These are the consequences of the sanction, but they want us to defy United States government sanction and risk the lives of all our people.”

Moreover, what was evident to Jagdeo is how during the entire video, Mohamed did not utter a word regarding the full details of the sanctions but instead decided to peddle unsubstantiated claims.
Also, Mohamed denied that non-American companies and organisations doing business with them would also be sanctioned.
Jagdeo labelled this as “misleading”, especially with the facts being so evident.

The General Secretary, while debunking this untrue statement, explained the implications of sanctions.
The implications of these sanctions are far-reaching and as Jagdeo explained, the US prohibits all transactions by US persons or those transiting the US.

“So, if you’re a non-US citizen but you transit the US, you’re subjected to sanctions too. It’s here; it’s very evident, it’s clear as daylight,” Jagdeo said.
Further, a paragraph regarding the implications of US sanctions, according to the US Treasury Department, read: “In addition, financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action.

“The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods or services from any such person.”
So, if one receives a contribution from the Mohameds, they can be sanctioned, Jagdeo explained.

‘GO PUBLIC WITH IT’
Mohamed, during the video release, alleged that a local businessman is buying gold from Venezuelans, a country that is sanctioned by the US and nothing has been done about that.
Rather than making unsubstantiated claims, the Jagdeo told Mohamed to go public with the evidence.

He said: “If he knows this, he should share it with the US government and make it public. We would be very interested in finding out who this businessman is. He (Mohamed) should go public with this record.”
Additionally, in response to Mohamed saying that is not ruling out the possibility of an assassination attempt on his son, Jagdeo urged him to cooperate with the Guyana Police Force and other relevant authorities.
The US Department of the Treasury sanctioned the father and son, and entities in Guyana for gross corruption following a comprehensive two-and-a-half-year investigation.
“These sanctions were two-and-a-half-plus years of investigations ongoing in the United States. We reserve these types of sanctions for gross levels of corruption and human rights abuses,” US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot had said.