U.S. President, the late Theodore Roosevelt, said, “No man is above the law and no man is below it”. I strongly believe that, especially in the case of Guyana. I have always been a law-abiding citizen. I do not mix or mince words. I speak the truth, and loudly.
The controversy involving the Mohameds must be brought to a swift end. There must be justice. If the Mohameds are involved in gold smuggling, tax evasion, money laundering, mail and wire fraud, or other crimes, then they must stand up and answer to the charges, like any of us. If they are found guilty, the Mohameds, both father and son, must be jailed, and there must be no cherry picking.
No one has time to expend behind the Mohameds in this manner. The government must be allowed to do its job fearlessly. The government must handle the extradition request properly. Once it is satisfied that there is enough evidence against the Mohameds, then the Mohameds will be arrested and sent forthwith to the US authorities; Plain and simple.
After all, the Mohameds are not Gods. They are humans. They must be treated like any other person in or out of Guyana. Their wealth and status should not influence the courts or the course of justice. The government and courts must not allow them to delay the extradition process. It must move along smoothly.
Secondly, each time I hear that the case with the Mohameds is political, I get angered and agitated. It is NOT. A straightforward legal process is being made out to look complex and difficult. The Mohameds are making it political.
If there is no guilt or fear, the Mohameds would go. That is exactly why they have been publicly campaigning and calling on the President, the PPP/C government and the parliament to swear Azruddin Mohamed in as opposition leader. They feel that they can hide from the U.S. and hide from justice via the political and parliamentary systems. This is simply not so!
An extradition does not mean the Mohameds are guilty. They must still answer before a court, and evidence must be brought against them. The Mohameds know what they are facing. They have always known. That is why they are fearful and seeking to make this whole case about politics.
On Monday, the PPP/C Government will not protect the Mohameds and will stay far. They will ensure that the law is followed to the letter. Let’s wait and see. The Mohameds could very well not be here at the end of the week.
Thirdly, Azruddin must know he is playing a dirty game called politics. I think he made a poor choice to flaunt his money and wealth at the people’s parliament on Monday. He is in for some serious ‘jumbie’ lashes from the PPP/C in parliament. From the looks of it, neither he nor the clueless WIN parliamentarians will hold the government accountable. They do not even know the standing orders and can barely debate on serious matters, much less the nation’s business.
I am predicting APNU will have to step in and save them because they would be gone with the ‘wind’. Parliament will descend into laughter and chaos. APNU will reclaim its seats if it manages to save the parliament. WIN will destroy WIN, and the PPP/C will run free before the next election.
Finally, Mohamed and his family are in for a surprise chess move. They should not be basking in the glory of surviving the extradition request or getting into the parliament. They should prepare themselves for the inevitable because the U.S. is patient as long as it gets its way in the end. The great chess move will catch them by surprise.
Remember, “No man is above the law and no man is below it.”
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.