For the first time in Guyana’s history, a man under indictment by a United States court for alleged involvement in transnational crime exceeding US$50 million is poised to take the oath of office as a Member of Parliament.

Guyanese businessman Azruddin Mohamed, who is currently facing extradition to the United States after being indicted in a Florida court for his alleged involvement in gold smuggling, drug trafficking, tax evasion, and mail and wire frauds, is expected to swear allegiance to the people of Guyana.

The US-indicted and sanctioned Guyanese businessman’s ascension to the National Assembly, observers say, marks an extraordinary and troubling moment in Guyana’s political evolution.

“This is really a shameful first for Guyana which should have instead been holding her head high, especially considering where we are now in the world in terms of how other countries see us,” said a WIN Party candidate who requested anonymity. “I didn’t think he would make it this far but seeing the way everything is going on got me a little bit worried.”

“Our parliament is the highest symbol of the people’s trust and will now accommodate someone under criminal indictment in the United States. This doesn’t feel like a win at all and I honestly have regrets.”

The sanctions imposed by the US government against Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, stemmed from investigations into alleged gold-smuggling, tax-evasion, and money-laundering networks. Their Florida-based indictment further details multiple counts of mail and wire fraud, offences that fall within the scope of international criminal law.

Another individual close to the WIN Party but who did not make the List of Candidates expressed concern that Mohamed’s parliamentary entry “erodes the integrity and accountability the system was built to protect,” noting that “no society can prosper when someone with such a heavy criminal weight rested on them is allowed to legislate for this country.”

For many across Guyana, the development is seen as a reputational setback for Guyana that has, in recent years, positioned itself as a regional leader in food and climate security.

“The image of an indicted man sitting comfortably among lawmakers sends an unmistakable signal to the world,” said an attorney who was asked for a comment but chose to remain unnamed because of the nature of the matter in the public. “It will take years to repair. Public service demands a higher standard, yet we seem willing to accept the opposite.”

As Mohamed prepares to take the parliamentary oath, civic voices are warning that the event could mark one of the darkest chapters in Guyana’s democratic history.

“This cannot be treated as a passing embarrassment,” one soon-to-be-sworn parliamentarian observed. “This is not who we are as a people and how we wish to be seen when we go out into the world. No! No!”