– rejects claims of gov’t interference in drug-trafficking case

MINISTER within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, has strongly condemned fugitive offender Azruddin Mohamed, describing him as “a notorious, barefaced liar who is hellbent on damaging the reputations of Guyanese who oppose his snare of deception.”

In a statement issued on Saturday, the minister said the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is “a mass-based political party with hundreds of thousands of supporters,” adding that while supporters are not controlled in their personal lives, the party expects them “to live a life of lawfulness and decency.”

The statement further addressed recent public claims made by Mohamed in relation to the criminal case involving PPP/C councillor for the Haslington-Grove Neighbourhood Democratic Council, Ronita Stuart Ram, insisting that his assertions were untrue and politically motivated.

The minister drew comparisons between the Stuart matter and other legal proceedings, stating that “the public record will show that Stuart was charged [for drug trafficking] alongside Ranjeev Ram, Maikhram Ram, and Savitri Ram.”  He said they appeared in court and were granted bail.

Minister McCoy noted that “this is the exact same way that Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed… have been put on bail for transnational crimes. He argued that “there is no difference between the way that the case of Stuart and the case of the Mohameds were dealt with.”

He also referenced the timing of political developments, noting that “just as Stuart was elected a councillor in 2023, it was the same time that Azruddin’s father and co-accused for international crimes, Nazar Mohamed, was elected.”

The minister further stated that at the time, the PPP/C was not aware of alleged international criminal activity, adding that such matters have since been “well documented” by United States authorities and are subject to legal proceedings abroad.

Responding to Azruddin’s claims regarding interference in prosecutorial decisions, McCoy said he was attempting “desperately to convince right-thinking Guyanese” that senior government officials had influenced the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Stuart’s matter.

McCoy rejected this, insisting that “the evidence… rips Azruddin’s lie to shreds.” The minister also accused Azruddin of attempting to create distractions, noting that he was engaged in a “clown circus of palavering and clutching at straws.”

He added that Azruddin Mohamed had failed to acknowledge what the statement described as “procedural parallels” between the Stuart case and his own legal matters.

The minister’s statement noted that Azruddin Mohamed’s conduct reflects desperation and inconsistency in his public commentary.

Reiterating its political position, the statement said the PPP/C had previously warned that Azruddin Mohamed “would be a disaster if elected.”

According to the minister, since taking office, Azruddin Mohamed has added no value and has instead been associated with developments that further confirm the extent of his and his father’s criminality.

Minister McCoy referenced ongoing extradition proceedings involving Azruddin Mohamed and his father and suggested that additional indictments are pending.

In a separate and detailed statement on Friday, the DPP, Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, also strongly condemned Azruddin Mohamed for what she described as “the deliberate dissemination of false, misleading and damaging information.”

The DPP clarified that her office provided legal advice in the matter of The Police v. Ronita Stuart Ram, Ranjeev Ram, Maikhram Ram and Savitri Ram concerning “possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.” The statement confirmed that the police conducted investigations and submitted a file for review.

It further explained that, based on “the evidence contained in the police file and the applicable law,” the DPP advised that charges be laid.

The four accused were subsequently charged on March 4, 2026, appeared before Magistrate Orinthia Schmidt at the Cove and John Magistrates’ Court, and pleaded not guilty.

The DPP confirmed that “the magistrate granted them bail in the sum of $1M each,” and emphasised that all legal advice issued by her office is grounded in evidence, law, and the Code for Prosecutors.