Ali says Mohamed always knew about highway farm; says it’s less than 75 acres

Last Updated on Thursday, 9 July 2026, 16:32 by Denis Chabrol

Maintaining that he did not leverage his position as a politician, President Irfaan Ali on Thursday said Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed had long knew about his farm at Long Creek off the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

“My farm is not a discovery. It is public information. Including the discoverer himself, he, himself, knows about the existence of my farm,” Dr Ali said on a Facebook Live.

Reacting, Mr Mohamed maintained to Demerara Waves Online News that President Ali’s “luxury estate ranch is news to all Guyanese and certainly news to me.” He said that he was now being made aware that while Dr Ali was Housing Minister that he acquired about 20 acres of land. “Otherwise, I have no knowledge of your more than 150-acre massive property and substantial agricultural investment. I also know that you were financially weak and struggling…,” Mr Mohamed added.

However, he did not address calls by Mr Mohamed’s main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (AFC) for public disclosure of all of his assets.
He said the size of the concession is less than half of the 150 acres that Mr Mohamed claims it is, but he did not say precisely what is the size. “Whatever condition, whatever conditions are there for lease lands on the highway, the same conditions. And by the way, the size of the farm is not even half of what he said it is. This man lied to the extent that he exaggerated the size of the farm, not even half, not even half of what he said the size of the farm is,” the President said. The President maintained that he borrowed several sums of money to invest in the  farm, but did not dispute the estimated GY$2.2 billion that Mr Mohamed claims the investment amounts to.

However, Dr Ali said he was reaping hefty profits that were being reinvested in the sprawling facility with sophisticated high-end poultry houses, shade houses, feedlots for cattle, and facilities for sheep and goats. “The farm is making a huge amount of money, so we get the money to invest in. But I can tell you, unlike Azruddin Mohammed, who still have to account to integrity commission, unlike him, who did not have to take a single loan for the wealth he accumulated, I am not in that category or bracket. Everything on my farm can be accounted for, through legitimate means,” the President said. Mr Mohamed and his father are fighting extradition proceedings to avoid being sent to the United States to face federal charges for alleged money laundering, wire fraud and mail fraud connected to their billion US dollar gold trading business. Since they were sanctioned by the American government in June 2024, the Guyana government has rescinded their gold and foreign currency dealership licences and commercial banks have shut down their accounts and handed them back billions of dollars in cash.

The Guyanese leader rejected suggestions by Mr Mohamed and other sections of the opposition that he abused his position as a politician to solicit “special” and other favours for his investment in the farm. ‘Let me be very clear, I have not sought any special treatment, any benefit, any investment by the state. My farm carries a huge loan, a huge loan, and everything has been, everything has been disclosed to the integrity commission, in and out of government,” he added. He also said other nearby farmers and major investors on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway know that every single condition that govern lease lands on the highway are the same condition governing his lands.

Lambasting Mr Mohamed, his one time close friend Islamic brother, Dr Ali accused him of preaching double standards when it came to the financing of the farm. “There is absolutely nothing to hide. The same man, on one hand, saying, oh this farm is making a huge amount of money, and then questions where the money comes from to invest. Imagine the hypocrisy,” he said.

The President threatened to release the full contents of a text message that Mr Mohamed sent him Friday, saying that it amounted to blackmail. He also said he a recording was sent to him purporting to be the voice of Charrandass Persaud, the man responsible for the no-confidence motion against the People’s Progressive Party Civic administration in December 2018. Dr Ali said he knew “absolutely nothing about” what was said in the recording.

He also denied having any role in the US’ criminal charges against Mr Mohamed and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed.