Mohamed dismisses police probe as ‘Wild Goose Chase’

Jul 17, 2026 News

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…says father only paid Richmond’s legal fees in ‘Paper Shorts’ case as concerns grow

(Kaieteur News) – Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has dismissed the Guyana Police Force’s investigation into him and persons previously associated with him in relation to the 2021 killing of Ricardo Fagundes, known as ‘Paper Shorts’, labelling the operation a politically motivated “wild goose chase”.

Speaking to Kaieteur News, Mohamed also addressed growing public concerns and rumours surrounding the recent arrests, clarifying that his family’s decision to fund legal representation for a former employee was a simple act of loyalty since “he was working with us for years and charity begins at home.”

Addressing questions regarding his family’s involvement in securing high-profile legal representation for the accused persons, Mohamed said that he is not funding a blanket defense for everyone arrested. According to Mohamed, the suspects are managing their legal affairs independently based on their financial standing Udoh Kanu, a former manager at Mohamed’s Security, retained attorney Nigel Hughes. Satrohan Rajkumar “Depo”, a mechanic who services Mohamed’s racing cars, is funding his own defense. Mohamed stated, “Satrohan Rajkumar, he said he’ll pay for the services of Damien Da Silva. Mark Richmond, a former security guard at Team Mohamed’s, had his legal fees sponsored directly by Mohamed’s father, Nazar Mohamed.

Explaining the decision to support Richmond, Mohamed stated “…he worked with my father for a long time…so my father sponsored the attorney for Richmond…” Mohamed defended the sponsorship, arguing that his family regularly supports those in need, “If we sponsor attorneys, if we sponsor healthcare, if we sponsor surgeries for strangers, why shouldn’t we sponsor an attorney for Mark Richmond who worked loyal with us for a number of years? Should we just leave him stranded? No, of course not. Charity begins at home”.

Mohamed revealed yesterday that law enforcement has heavily targeted his daily movements. Posted on his “Team Mohamed’s” Facebook page, the Opposition Leader wrote: “4 Special Branch vehicles have been stationed at my residences and other locations that I am usually present on a daily basis. Even the Special Branch officers say this is sickening”.

Mohamed directly accused President Irfaan Ali of acting out of “desperation, panic and haste” after Mohamed reportedly exposed a $5 billion, 150-acre megafarm belonging to the President. Mohamed asserted that the state is attempting to manufacture evidence to manipulate the justice system.

In his public statement, Mohamed declared he would not be intimidated by the deployment of state forces: “President Irfaan Ali… can send the entire joint services, police, soldier and GDF to look for me because that won’t scare me. I only fear Almighty God. As a Muslim, Irfaan should know that muslims don’t fear man, they fear Almighty God”.

He added that attempting to “unjustly arrest the Opposition Leader” represents an insult to the intelligence of Guyanese citizens. “If they truly respect their citizens, they would immediately stop their pursuit of victimising me and other innocent Guyanese… Guyanese are no fools and will not fall for it”.

Suspects Pressured to Implicate Mohamed

The investigation saw rapid developments over the last seven days, with several individuals taken into custody. Currently, two businessmen remain in police custody Troy Singh, the owner of an Eccles-based tint shop, who is due out of custody at 10:00 AM today. Satrohan Rajkumar (“Depo”), a mechanic due out of custody on Saturday.

Singh’s attorney, Yuborn Allicock, alleged that investigators are using heavy-handed tactics to force his client into making false statements. “My client related to me that the police are pressuring him to implicate Mohamed in the said murder by stating that Mr. Mohamed had ordered him to tint the white Fielder wagon… he also said that he has no knowledge of that,” Allicock told Kaieteur News.

Singh has maintained his innocence, insisting to police that he “only tinted high-end vehicles for Mr. Mohamed” and has no knowledge of the white Toyota Fielder wagon believed to be the getaway vehicle in the March 2021 hit.

Mohamed pointed out that transaction documents from July 2025 show the wagon was sold to Shemroy Omar Stewart, a close associate of convicted drug trafficker Shaheed Roger Khan. Mohamed questioned why the police are “targeting innocent people by taking political instructions” rather than pursuing key figures like Roger Khan, for whom no wanted bulletins have been issued.

Mohamed also criticised the police’s handling of Satrohan Rajkumar’s arrest. Rajkumar surrendered on Wednesday,15^th July, hours after a wanted bulletin was issued. Mohamed described the bulletin for Rajkumar, who lives minutes from the station and operates openly, as “both unnecessary and absurd”. He expressed concern for Rajkumar’s health, noting the mechanic suffers from an ulcerative stomach condition.

Furthermore, Mohamed also condemned the six-day detention of Richmond, who was released on $1 million station bail on Tuesday alongside Udoh Kanu and Amarnauth Ramsook.

“Can you believe that Mr. Mark Richmond was not questioned?” Mohamed asked. “If there were no questions to ask him, then why was he held for six days in the first place… This is a travesty in our justice system”. While free on bail, Richmond has been ordered to report to investigators daily for “no reason”.

Meanwhile, regarding rumours that he will be arrested soon in connection with the same case, Mohamed noted that he had heard so as well.

The Fagundes murder probe has long been a source of public controversy, particularly following 2022 whistleblowing allegations by Police Sergeant Dion Bascom, who claimed senior officers covered up the case.

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• Azruddin Mohamed, Paper Shorts, Police probe, wild goose chase

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