Mohamed pushes for modern campaign financing laws

Feb 11, 2026 News

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…after admitting to bankrolling PPP/C

(Kaieteur News) – Leader of the Opposition and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party head, Azruddin Mohamed, has revealed that he and his family financially supported the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) prior to their 2020 rise to power, while calling for modern, transparent campaign financing laws in Guyana.

Several of the organisations that observed last year’s general elections have called for modern campaign financing legislation to be introduced here.  During the budget debate last week, Mohamed told the National Assembly that his enterprise had “bankrolled” the PPP/C while they were in opposition. For this reason, the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party leader told reporters that he is in support of having laws that allow for transparency and accountability as it relates to campaign financing.

In an interview with journalists on the sideline of Parliament the businessman turned politician explained that his family invested hundreds of millions if not billions in the ruling PPP/C, a party that is now his biggest politician opponent. To this end, Mohamed said he believes that the identities of donors and how much they invested in financing the efforts of political group should be made public.    “According to the international observers, one of the concerns is that of campaign financing and we know for some of the parties [too], is that they would not want to put forward how much a particular businessman will donate because of victimisation and these things but I agree that it should be made public. Every cent should be made public and donors too.”

The WIN party leader told reporters that he plans to bring a motion to address campaign financing to the National Assembly. “After the budget I will talk to the team to see what we can come up with so we can table a motion.”

Further detailing his financial support for the PPP/C before the fallout, Mohamed explained that there are records of some of the money that was given to them. “Yes, we have records but so much money was given to them too without receipt based on the relationship but we have records.”

According to the businessman, his financial support for the party ran in the “hundreds of million, if not billions.” He said too that his family essentially got nothing in return.  “We are comfortable, we didn’t ask for anything; we don’t need anything.”  Mohamed clarified further that his company received two contracts from this government after the took office in 2020. The two contracts were to build the Guyana Fire Service headquarters on Homestretch Avenue and the Lusignan Prison. He said though that his company went through the right process “we had to tender for it.”  He admitted that while he did get a quarry license under the government, there was a demand for it. “They wanted development as it relates to stone in the country but we had to spend billions of dollars to set up that quarry too there were a lot of persons that received the quarry licenses including the Chinese and so,” he added.

According to the businessman, when his company cushioned the PPP/C the requests for assistance came directly from now President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo. He explained that the fallout with the party came long before the sanctions. Mohamed revealed “Around 2020 and 2021, I used to do a lot of humanitarian work and they called and told me ‘Personally man what is going on?’ They told me straight ‘why are you helping these poor people it causing a big problem in this country’ I said to them, ‘we have been doing these things for decades, my father is a humanitarian and I am following his footsteps.’ Then all these problems started to happen. Then, they asked me to release a statement that I am not running for office.  Jagdeo and Irfaan Ali asked me to do so, they even asked my father. They sent persons to him too.”

Mohamed is currently before the local courts battling an extradition request by the United States. Back in October last year Mohamed and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed were indicted in a U.S. federal court in Miami, Florida on 11 charges of wire and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury car- all stemming from accusations of massive tax fraud committed against Guyana. The indictment, unsealed on October 2, 2025, accuses the Mohameds of orchestrating an elaborate fraud and money-laundering scheme involving gold exports, customs fraud, bribery, and the evasion of millions in taxes and royalties owed to Guyana.

The case, captioned United States of America v. Nazar Mohamed & Azruddin Mohamed, is filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida under case number 25-CR-20441 (WILLIAMS/LETT). Among the statutes cited are: conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1349), wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), conspiracy to commit money laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956(h)), and related forfeiture statutes (18 U.S.C. §§ 981, 982).

At the heart of the US Government’s case lie several core allegations, among them gold export fraud and customs seal reuse. The indictment seen by this newspaper charges that Mohamed’s Enterprise, the Guyana-based gold wholesaling and export company controlled 90% by Nazar and 10% by Azruddin, is alleged to have sold gold to buyers in Miami and Dubai, while circumventing Guyana’s revenue and regulatory system. The indictment claims that the defendants would reuse official Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Guyana Gold Board (GGB) customs seals and export declarations, originally applied legally on one shipment on subsequent shipments for which they had not paid taxes or royalties. This, prosecutors say, created the false impression that proper payments had been made. Additionally, the duo is also accused of bribing state officials to facilitate their alleged corrupt acts. The indictment sets forth that the Mohameds paid bribes to Guyanese government officials, including customs agents to allow the acceptance of duplicate paperwork and reused seals. Through this mechanism, the scheme allegedly enabled the evasion of duties and royalties that should have gone to Guyana’s coffers.

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• Azruddin Mohamed, financing laws, PPPC, transparent, We Invest in Nationhood

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