Attorney General Anil Nandlall has raised alarm over the possible election of United States-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed to Guyana’s Parliament, warning that such a move could trigger serious financial and diplomatic repercussions for the country.
Speaking during his weekly Tuesday night programme, Issues in the News, Nandlall warned that electing a sanctioned individual into the National Assembly would place Guyana’s governance structure at risk and invite broad penalties affecting both state institutions and private actors.
“If he’s elected, he becomes part of the government,” Nandlall stressed. “And there are going to be repercussions. That is a fact.”
Mohamed, a well-known gold dealer and businessman, was sanctioned in June 2024 by the United States Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The sanctions accuse him of corruption, bribery of government officials and involvement in large-scale gold smuggling, among other illicit activities. His companies and several associates were also listed.
The OFAC notice states that any individual or entity – American or otherwise – doing business with a sanctioned person risks being sanctioned themselves. According to Nandlall, this warning is not theoretical.
“It’s not conjecture, it’s not opinion. It’s published clearly. Non-U.S. persons can also be sanctioned for dealing with sanctioned entities.”
The Attorney General said Guyana has already started to feel the ripple effects. He pointed to commercial banks revoking accounts connected to Mohamed and others in his circle, citing de-risking measures under the global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) framework.
“One commercial bank started it, now another has begun shutting down young people’s accounts just for being associated with him,” Nandlall revealed. “The system is interconnected. A threat in one part contaminates the entire system.”
Nandlall reminded the public that Guyana was once blacklisted due to lax financial oversight, a stain that took years to undo. Allowing sanctioned individuals to hold positions of political power, he argued, could return the country to that vulnerable state.
“We’ve been through this before when the APNU+AFC used their one-seat majority to block critical AML legislation. We cannot afford to go back there.”
He stressed that this is not about political interference or targeting a specific candidate, but about protecting the integrity of Guyana’s financial and governance systems.
“It’s not about who wins or loses. The consequences are real and Guyanese voters need to understand that,” he said. “This is not a normal competitor. If Azruddin Mohamed gets close to government, the country will be exposed to harm.”
The Attorney General also took aim at what he called an ongoing PR campaign by Mohamed’s camp to deflect from the sanctions. He claimed local media outlets and online commentators were being used to shift focus from Mohamed to government officials.
He also noted that attempts to discredit the U.S. government’s actions were part of a broader misinformation effort, possibly fuelled by Mohamed’s financial resources.
“There’s no shortage of funds. He has hired experts in the U.S. to clean up his image,” Nandlall alleged.
Mohamed is currently a candidate for the upcoming general elections, having satisfied all legal requirements to contest. Nandlall acknowledged this but said the electorate must weigh the broader implications.
“He’s qualified to run, yes. But every Guyanese has a responsibility to consider what electing a sanctioned individual really means for the country.”
While reiterating that it is the people who must decide at the ballot box, Nandlall urged voters to be aware of the risks, especially as Guyana seeks to maintain international credibility and financial stability.
“We can’t sugar-coat this. The threats are clear. The question is: do we want to bring that into our Parliament?
The post Sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed in Parliament could spell trouble for Guyana – Nandlall warns appeared first on News Room Guyana.
