Amid complaints that the government has upped its focus on businessman Azruddin Mohamed, President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Tuesday clarified that it was the United States government that imposed sanctions. And as such, Dr. Ali said Azruddin poses a threat to Guyana’s national security and relationship with the US.
“Azruddin Mohamed was sanctioned by the US government. OFAC sanctions are not ordinary,” President Ali said in a live broadcast on his Facebook page.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury, on June 11, 2024 announced the imposition of sanctions against the Mohamed’s family, specifically targeting Nazar Mohamed, his son Azruddin Mohamed, and their businesses, namely Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World and Team Mohamed’s Racing. These sanctions were connected to gold smuggling and corruption.
Because of these sanctions from the US body, President Ali said Azruddin poses a threat to Guyana’s national security. It is for that reason, he explained, local banks cannot conduct any transactions with him or any of the named businesses, and other business players are not engaged in any deals.
Beyond the fallout in the business sphere, President Ali said the sanctions on Mr. Mohamed affect Guyana’s relationship with the US, its “key” ally.
“Our greatest threat to our national security is Venezuela.
“Is Azruddin Mohamed a threat to the defense of this border against Venezuela? Yes, because our key ally has identified him to the extent that he is sanctioned by them,” President Ali explained.
He further noted that diplomatic efforts, which Guyana has been robustly pursuing to maintain support for its territorial integrity and sovereignty, may become strained because of the sanctions on Azruddin. So he sought to assure Guyanese that the businessman was not being targeted by the Guyana Government, but rather, the government has been forced to act based on the sanctions imposed.
The President’s broadcast came moments after a heated exchange with local journalists.
He was asked about a recent tweet made by a United States congressman, Carlos Gimenez, who said the U.S. Congress is alarmed about Mr. Mohamed’s candidacy in the upcoming elections. Gimenez said the US Congress believes that Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro is attempting to undermine Guyana through Mohamed.
Documents filed by a US lobbying firm, Continental Strategy, show that the Guyana government hired the firm for federal engagements and advocacy in America.
President Ali briefly addressed the link between the government’s efforts to apprise US authorities about Venezuela’s aggressions towards Guyana and concerns about Mr. Mohamed. He also emphasised that Mr. Mohamed, who is now leading the ‘We Invest in Nationhood’ political party, has been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for fraud.
Following the tweet made by the congressman on Monday, Mr. Mohamed rejected the “pro-Maduro” label. In a statement on the Team Mohamed’s Facebook page, Mohamed said he has been falsely portrayed as an agent of the Maduro regime and said he stands firmly for Guyana’s sovereignty.
Guyana’s lobbying efforts focused on keeping allies informed about Venezuela’s threats – President
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