–Dr. Jagdeo emphasises, points to US’ position on the matter

VICE-PRESIDENT, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has emphasised how the election of OFAC-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed to public office could expose Guyana to crippling international consequences.

During last evening’s airing of ‘Starting Point,’ the Vice-President sounded the alarm over the embattled businessman who, according to him, has “no track record of achievement, no plan for the future, no experience, and then, on the other hand, added to all of those: criminality.”

The Vice-President said: “And so we know now that this country could face sanctions and big trouble with the United States of America if he is elected.”
This is a presidential candidate that cannot even face the press properly, the Vice-President pointed out, while strongly dismissing those online pages associated with the businessman, which have attempted to diminish the seriousness of his sanctions.

“His sanctions, they are serious sanctions. A couple days ago, they sought to say, ‘oh, that some Chinese companies are sanctioned’; and those are different sorts of sanctions,” he said.
These companies are sanctioned under a capital market restriction pursuant to a US Executive Order targeting companies linked to the Chinese military. This measure prohibits US persons from investing in the company’s securities but does not freeze assets or impose trade bans.

“His (Azruddin) sanctions came under those reserved for people who do drug trafficking, money laundering, gold smuggling, corruption, etcetera,” the Vice-President clarified.
Mohamed’s sanctions come with a serious set of consequences, which are spelled out in the sanction document published in June of 2024, Dr. Jagdeo said.
In August last year, the Bank of Guyana confirmed that all banks in Guyana have closed accounts they had with the Mohamed family and their businesses following US sanctions for their alleged roles in public corruption.

Nazar Mohamed, his son Azruddin and their businesses, namely Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World and Team Mohamed’s Racing, on June 11, 2024, were sanctioned by OFAC, which oversees sanctions against individuals and entities tied to illicit activities and hostile foreign governments.

The Vice-President pointed out that as a result of affiliation with the Mohameds, persons have lost their visas and candidates of his political party, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), have lost their bank accounts, owing to local banks refusing to undergo financial collapse by severing their ties with US corresponding banks.
With that said, the Vice-President said that Mohamed is not investing in nationhood, but “he’s investing in himself to avoid criminality, total consequences for his criminality.”
To this end, the Vice-President dismissed Mohamed’s claims of political victimisation.

Recently, United States Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, voiced serious concerns over the potential inclusion of a US-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed within Guyana’s government, warning that such a development is “concerning”, and could have far-reaching diplomatic and economic consequences.

Ambassador Theriot made it clear that the US Government, particularly OFAC, views any elevation of Mohamed, currently the leader of the WIN party, as problematic.
“Yes, we are concerned anytime an OFAC-sanctioned individual has the potential to become a member of government…It’s problematic in multiple ways… We have to be very careful if that person is involved. Let’s say we were on a certain committee; we would have to be very careful in working with that committee. We have to make sure that we didn’t work with him specifically,” Theriot stated.

The Ambassador elaborated that US law strictly limits engagement with individuals under OFAC sanctions, making Mohamed’s potential entry into Parliament, whether in government or opposition, an issue of regulatory and reputational risk for both diplomatic missions and private sector interests.

“He would still be a member of government. So that would be a concern for us,” Theriot said when asked whether Mohamed’s presence in the opposition would still raise alarm.
But the Ambassador did not stop at government engagement.

She raised a more urgent concern, such as the ripple effects on US investment and business confidence in Guyana.