WHEN WIN’s lawyers asked OFAC about bank account closures, the response was clear and damaging to WIN’s story.

OFAC stated firmly that financial institutions have full authority to conduct their own risk assessments.

Most importantly, OFAC declared it “will not direct an entity to conduct activity that undermines its policies and procedures,” effectively supporting banks’ right to close accounts as a precaution.

Instead of recognising this reality, WIN has twisted OFAC’s measured response into support for their position, claiming the closures were “unjustified and politically motivated.”

This distorts what OFAC actually communicated. The US agency never said banks were wrong to close accounts; it simply pointed out that sanctions do not automatically extend through association while affirming banks’ independent decision-making authority.

This latest distortion fits a troubling pattern of WIN’s campaign tactics.

Led by Azruddin Mohamed, who is sanctioned for allegedly dodging over US$50 million in gold export taxes, WIN has regularly portrayed legitimate regulatory actions as political persecution.

They have called for harmful boycotts of Guyanese businesses, threatened legal action against banks adhering to international compliance standards, and now misrepresented official US government correspondence to back their victimisation story.
WIN’s manipulation of OFAC guidance is not just misleading; it’s dangerous.

By promoting defiance of international banking standards and spreading conspiracy theories about “weaponised” private sector compliance, they weaken the institutions that protect Guyana’s financial system from international sanctions risk.

Local financial analyst Joel Bhagwandin accurately stated that “Guyanese banks, acting in accordance with their own risk frameworks and the law, were entirely justified in closing the accounts.”

WIN’s blatant distortion of OFAC guidance goes beyond political spin; it is a deliberate attempt to mislead the Guyanese people while the party’s leaders face serious corruption allegations.

Persons must be mindful of these political aspirants who twist official communications to serve their own political interests while potentially putting Guyana’s financial sector at risk.