Ali, Nandlall deny blackmailing Azruddin, gov’t hints at FBI update on ‘Paper Shorts’ Fagundes murder

Last Updated on Wednesday, 9 April 2025, 22:38 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday denied a claim by his former close associate, now political foe Azruddin Mohamed, that two senior cabinet members had threatened to investigate him if he did not issue a statement stating that he was not entering politics.

Mr Mohamed, who was sanctioned by the United States last year for allegedly evading US$50 million in taxes from Guyana on more than 10,000 kilograms of gold exports, has hinted that he will be entering politics for the 2025 general and regional elections.

In recent weeks, Mr Mohamed and his father Nazar “Shell” Mohamed have been complaining that they were being targeted by the police and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), based on political instructions.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD), which had initially issued permission for the Mohameds’ foreign flagged tugs and barges to conduct coastal voyages, has since ruled out doing so again.

Almost immediately after the sanctions had been issued against the Mohameds, the Bank of Guyana revoked that business’ foreign exchange dealer’s “cambio” licence and financial institutions were ordered to cut ties with them for fear of infecting the banking system and exposing the country to further sanctions.

They said their licensed firearms have been taken away and the GRA has moved to impose more than GY$1.2 billion import duties on luxury and other vehicles that had already been cleared and duties paid for.

The GRA, however, said it had “irrefutable evidence” for its actions and that there was a stack of evidence of going after vehicle owners who had violated the duty-free concessions for re-migrants and diplomats.

The Mohameds last weekend obtained an interim High Court order blocking GRA from seizing the vehicles pending the hearing and determination of a substantive case to quash the GRA’s efforts to charge additional duties.

During efforts last Saturday to seize the vehicles from the Mohameds residence, Mr Azruddin alleged that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Attorney General Anil Nandlall had called him, threatening to take away the vehicles if he did not publicly state that he would not be getting into politics. “Jagdeo and Nandlall told me that they’re coming to seize the vehicles if I don’t release a statement that I am not running for office,” he said.

For his part, Mr Nandlall said he was unaware that Mr Azruddin would be seeking elected office and bluntly denied speaking with the businessman in the presence of the Vice President. “I have never spoken to Mr Azruddin Mohamed in the presence of Mr Jagdeo… Since the sanction was imposed, I have never spoken to Mr Mohamed in person or on the telephone by himself,” he said.

The Attorney General added that, “I met with the Mohameds a few times after the sanctions. I was required to do so, as Attorney General, in order to explain to them that under the law the government would have to take certain measures and take certain precautionary steps to protect the financial system of Guyana and to protect the State against the pernicious consequences of the sanctions.”

He said those “courteous and cordial” meetings were held in the presence of their team of lawyers and focussed on “disengaging seamlessly” from all government and State businesses. He said at no time had the Mohameds complained of treating them unfairly or unlawfully.

Zooming in on Mr Azruddin’s specific allegation of blackmail, Mr Nandlall said, “I had an opportunity to get an insight into the mentality of this guy when he fabricated such a naked untruth against myself and Mr Jagdeo.” He said the Vice President has also denied such a “barefaced” accusation and would address the claim at this week’s news conference.

Mr Nandlall on Tuesday night’s edition of “Issues In The News” said the GRA enjoys post-audit powers which was legally enforcing against the Mohameds, even as he denied any political motive behind such an action. “There is no political connection, as far as I am aware, between this exercise or in relation to this exercise,” he said.

But President Ali on Tuesday bluntly denied that those two senior members of his Cabinet had ever threatened to blackmail the businessmen. “Absolute nonsense! He could say anything. He says he didn’t evade taxes. The US sanctioned for him,” he said. “Never, we are never involved in blackmail. Blackmail for what?” he said.

Insisting that his administration was abiding by the law, the Guyanese leader said the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) was also continuing its investigations into the March 2021 gunning down of Ricardo “Paper Shorts” Fagundes outside Palm Court, Main Street, Georgetown.

His friend, Shaheed “Roger” Khan had said then that the bullets were meant for him instead.

In addition to having the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) review files by local investigators, President Ali said the FBI was now poised to provide more information. “We then took an important piece of evidence and we sent that piece of evidence to the FBI. The FBI is doing their investigation. Some aspect is coming back. From what I’m advised by the police, there will be additional questioning that is required and that is a process. I don’t get involved in that,” he said.

With Mr Azruddin attracting pockets of support from Guyanese across the racial divide, the President, who would be running for a second term in general elections slated for later this year, dismissed questions on whether he was afraid of the businessman chipping away support from the governing People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC). “Afraid of what? Absolutely not!” he said. Quizzed on why he was paying attention to him in his recent community public meetings, Dr Ali said, “I’m not paying any attention to him. That’s the problem.”

While restating that he had known Mr Mohamed growing up as a child, he said his administration’s consistent position was that action would be taken once there is evidence. Now that the US has provided “important” information to the Guyana government about the alleged tax evasion by the Mohameds that would trigger certain actions. “Nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with political ambition,” he said.

The President challenged Mr Azruddin to “bring it on if you want to contest” the elections rather and join forces with the Alliance For Change (AFC) which he claimed had been organising the businessman’s meetings. “We don’t have a problem with that. We welcome it. That is democracy. That’s your right but we must be open and transparent about how we deploy our democratic right,” he said.

The PPPC presidential candidate again expressed confidence in winning this year’s general elections on the basis of hard work, trustworthiness, delivery of its manifesto promises. “We are not going to win this election because we are lazy. We are going to win this election because we were democratic. We are not going to win this election because we tried to steal an election,” he said.