By Mark DaCosta- The United States Department of the Treasury conducted a covert investigation into alleged corruption involving the Mohamed family and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government official Mae Thomas, spanning over two and a half years. The investigation, which remained hidden from local authorities, culminated in severe sanctions against the implicated parties. US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, shed light on this process during a press briefing at the U.S Embassy in Georgetown on Friday.
Theriot stressed that the sanctions, handed down by the U.S Department of the Treasury, represent the highest level of punitive action following corruption probes. “These sanctions are not imposed lightly and reflect the seriousness of the allegations,” she stated. The secrecy surrounding the investigation was attributed to standard U.S practices to protect the integrity of their intelligence efforts. “We tend to not share a lot of information until the investigation reaches a certain stage,” Theriot explained.
The investigation led to sanctions against Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin, alongside their ventures, including Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World, and Team Mohamed’s Racing. Mae Thomas, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, was also implicated, resulting in her being placed on leave and resigning from her leadership role within the PPP.
The revelations have prompted the Guyanese government to request access to the investigation’s findings to conduct its own inquiry. Ambassador Theriot confirmed receiving requests from Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh and Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority Godfrey Statia. “I have forwarded these requests to the Treasury Department and strongly recommended sharing as much unclassified evidence as possible,” she said.
The completely secret probe — lasting over two years — has cast a long shadow over the PPP administration, implying a lack of trust from the US government. Mae Thomas’s involvement in the scandal has been particularly damaging. Thomas resigned from her PPP leadership role, a decision confirmed by PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo. Her resignation followed serious allegations of corruption and the imposition of sanctions by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
According to the US Treasury, Mohamed’s Enterprise is accused of evading significant taxes on gold exports, defrauding the Guyanese government by under-declaring shipments. Mae Thomas, during her tenure at the Ministry of Home Affairs, allegedly facilitated this by accepting bribes and valuable gifts from Mohamed’s Enterprise.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo revealed that US authorities had questioned Thomas about the Mohameds while she was in transit to China in April 2023, during which her cell phone was confiscated.
Thomas is further accused of using her position to benefit Mohamed’s Enterprise, influencing contract awards and approval processes for weapons permits and passports in exchange for bribes.
The U.S sanctions, enforced under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, aim to combat global corruption and human rights abuses. These sanctions block all property and interests in the U.S linked to the designated individuals and entities, prohibiting transactions with them unless authorised by OFAC.
The PPP government now faces significant scrutiny and pressure to address these corruption claims. While the Guyanese government has sought detailed information from the U.S Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service to pursue legal action, questions remain about the lack of prior communication. This secrecy by the U.S suggests a possible mistrust by the U.S government towards the local administration.
