Chief of Defence Staff says handshake with WIN candidate twisted for political gain

CHIEF of Defence Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Omar Khan, has rejected the misuse of a courteous gesture to a presidential candidate and attempts to use it for political gain.

Brigadier Khan, in a statement on Friday, said at Base Camp Ayanganna during the Joint Services voting process, he responded to an act of courtesy in greeting a candidate who initiated a handshake.

“It has since come to my attention that this moment is being twisted and used for political gain on social media by the WIN Presidential Candidate, Azruddin Mohamed. Let it be clear, neither I nor the Guyana Defence Force as an institution supports or endorses any political party or candidate,” he firmly stated.

He said that the GDF stands firm, neutral, patriotic, and loyal to the constitution and the people of Guyana.

“This misuse is not only misleading, it is dishonourable. Using the GDF’s professionalism for political gain goes against the values of honesty and respect that our democracy deserves,” he stated.

He also took the opportunity to commend those men and women of the Joint Services for their steadfast work in maintaining peace and safety during this election season.

Azruddin, along with his father, Nazar Mohamed 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.

In a June 2024 statement, the OFAC stated, “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 thousand kilogrammes of gold from import-and-export declarations and avoided paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes to the Government of Guyana.”