By Nicole Telford- “Very serious allegations, with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security involved as quoted by Reuters, proof or evidence sometimes comes in the form of arrest, indictments, trials, guilt, acquittals and conviction,” so said former Chairman of the Police Service Commission, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Paul Slowe.
Slowe said it should be in the Government of Guyana best interest to investigate what he calls “very serious allegations made by Reuters against Guyana’s President, his government officials and the Mohameds of Mohamed’s Enterprise.” The retired ACP was addressing the Reuters’ investigative report, U.S. probing Exxon contractor in Guyana for smuggling drugs, gold” of July 14, 2023, which fingered Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed of Mohamed’s Enterprise
The Mohameds, father and son, have since challenged Reuters to produce evidence to support allegations made in its report that they are involved in smuggling drugs, money laundering and gold smuggling. According to the report “the U.S. government officials repeatedly warned oil giant Exxon Mobil to avoid doing business with two mining magnates in Guyana, who face U.S. investigations on suspicions of money laundering, drug trafficking and gold smuggling, according to five people with knowledge of the matter and two intelligence reports seen by Reuters.”
Hours after the release of the Reuters report the Mohamed’s in a press statement said the report was “a repetition and regurgitation of the now widely accepted discredited Bram Ebus report published on September 14, 2020. The report is premised and riddled with unverified and unsubstantiated assertions that the Mohamed’s are the subjects of investigations by several U.S agencies among them the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security, on suspicion of smuggling Colombian cocaine and illegally mined Venezuelan gold to the United States, Europe, and the Middle East…” and for “…laundering money for drug traffickers and criminals, including sanctioned Russian nationals operating in the region…”
Slowe in an invited comment to Village Voice News said, “these are very serious allegations.” He noted that having read both Reuters investigative report and the Mohameds’ denial press release “it makes a case for further examination through the Guyana system of justice”. The retired ACP further explained that “Reuters is a reputable organisation that has been in operation for years and would not be writing without fact checking, since it could be damaging to the credibility of the age-old institution”.
Meanwhile the Mohameds said that “the report was defamatory and that there was a reckless use of sources as the basis of the report”.
The Mohameds have categorically denied that they are the subject of any investigations by any U.S authorities. In response to a request by Reuters to respond to what they described as baseless allegations and challenged the international news agency to produce evidence to substantiate the allegations made in its published article, Slowe stated that “no reputable news organisation or Journalist would reveal their sources to anyone.” Further, he added, “that it is a known fact throughout the journalism fraternity and the world.”
Going further, Slowe explained that Reuters would have quoted from documents they said were obtained from the DEA, FBI and Homeland Security this he noted is where the proof or evidence is tricky”.
The retired ACP however said, “with the way the United States operates there will never be any provision of proof or evidence especially with the involvement of the FBI, DEA and Homeland Security.” There might instead be arrest warrants, indictments, trials, convictions or acquittals under such circumstances, he offered.
The report also spoke of “the Mohameds’ close senior government officials making them important power brokers, an influential force that international companies could face if they want to do business in the burgeoning oil nation, according to one of the U.S. intelligence reports seen by Reuters”. This Mr. Slowe said, “is cause for concern and needs to be addressed by the Government of Guyana since the report is claiming the involvement of government officials.”
Reuters said “70-year-old Nazar Mohamed, has long been close to the family of Guyana’s president, Irfaan Ali, who came to power in 2020, according to three people familiar with their relationship. One of the intelligence reports reviewed by Reuters said the Mohamed’s donated heavily to Ali’s 2020 presidential campaign and provided logistical support”.
It was pointed out in the report, “the Mohameds have since regularly attended government-sponsored events, including an overseas trade mission.”
The elder Mohamed is also a prominent donor to local sporting events, schools, charities and politicians. His son, Azruddin, who now runs Mohamed’s Enterprise, cultivates a flashy image, posting images of himself wearing designer clothes, driving exotic sports cars, and posing with rifles on social media.
A spokesperson for Guyana’s President, Ifraan Ali did not address questions about his relationship with the Mohameds but said in a statement that the president is not aware of any U.S. criminal investigations into the Mohameds’ activities.
According to the Mohameds, “the report is considered a most vile, diabolical, sloppy hatchet job, published with the primary intention of creating the appearance that they are in a position of conflict with US law enforcement agencies”.
The Mohameds’ press release added that “The tone, tenor, and content of the report is clearly aimed to lower the Mohameds’ estimation in the eyes of Guyanese, the international community, and to destroy their business relations, integrity, and credentials.”
Further, the Mohameds said that “they remain fully committed to upholding the law and conducting their business operations with the highest standards of legitimacy and integrity.”
