Loyalty test for Azruddin Mohamed

May 29, 2025 Letters

Dear Editor

We have heard repeatedly that Mr. Nigel Hughes, the presidential candidate for the Alliance for Change, is yoked with dual loyalties. Because in addition to his candidacy to serve as President of Guyana, he is retained to represent the interests of Exxon’s subsidiary, here. Mr. Hughes has made it clear that his legal obligation as Exxon’s attorney is to protect his clients interests. And so he must.

However, his loyalty to the people of Guyana cannot be subordinated to that of his corporate client, if he should become the next President of our Republic. Should he indeed become president, he would be required to swear allegiance to and uphold the Constitution of Guyana. Thus, relinquishing his attorney/client relationship under his Retainer Agreement with Exxon. He will not be permitted to serve two masters.

Exxon as we all know has miraculously managed to squeeze remarkable terms &conditions out of Guyana in its enviable 2016 Production Sharing Agreement. Interestingly, that PSA was negotiated and signed by a member of Mr. Hughes’ AFC party, a Coalition partner in the last David Granger- Peoples National Congress Gov’t. Guyanese without any exception share a common national grief over that PSA. We helplessly mourn this travesty as others lament being sanctioned.

Which brings us to Mr. Azruddin Mohamed, the US-sanctioned local businessman/philanthropist and now presidential candidate of our country.

As we head into an early election season, our country remains under constant political attacks from the undemocratic Maduro regime and violent attacks from both state and non-state actors on the Guyana/Venezuelan border. Here,

Mr. Mohamed cannot escape from the same loyalty test that is being applied to Mr. Hughes vis-a-vis his foreign clients.

Can Mr. Azruddin Mohamed answer the following:

Whether he or his business entity, that were licensed to buy/sell and export gold, facilitated the purchase of gold from Specially Designated Nationals in the Maduro regime and/or members of the Venezuelan military?

If the answer is in the affirmative, then 2. Was this the reason he and his businesses were sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control?

Why he and his companies divested from the very lucrative Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base Inc.?

Editor, the above questions are not only critical to clearing the air surrounding the US sanctioning of this gentleman and his companies. Most importantly, they raise far more serious issues for a national presidential candidate. A. His duty to protect the lives of Guyanese citizens from a hostile foreign enemy and; B. his constitutional obligation to protect the sovereignty of this nation, which he claims he wants to guard as Commander-in-Chief.

Mr. Nazar Mohamed, the father of Azruddin, claimed recently in a Facebook post, that he has evidence of another gold dealer in Guyana who was transacting gold purchases with “Venezuelan personnel in military uniforms in the amount of millions of dollars.” He claimed that he has evidence of banking records from Citi Bank of these transactions. Were the Mohameds conducting similar transactions with members of a foreign enemy engaged in shooting of our soldiers? I know Mr Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, and I am absolutely sure he would never countenance such a betrayal of his nation. I do not know the younger Mohamed and cannot say what his loyalties are, if any.

Editor, nothing in this application of a loyalty tests impute disloyalty or ill-motives on the part of these honorable gentlemen whose reputations are beyond reproach. However, voters on September 1st, 2025, must know that they would not be unwittingly voting for a Judas.

Therefore, it’s only fair that the very loyalty test that applies to Mr. Nigel Hughes be equally applied to Mr. Azrudin Mohamed.

Sincerely,

Fuad Rahaman

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