Some state-owned media houses have published information that does not accurately reflect the official letter from the United States (U.S.) government, which is in the public domain and has been shared by We Invest In Nationhood (WIN) on its social media platform. Sources questioned, expressed concern that the story carried in the Guyana Chronicle may not be a matter of mere interpretation but rather one of wilful intent to score political points and negatively impact the WIN party, which has proven to be a serious contender that is causing the People’s Progressive Party undue anxiety.
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) letter:
“The implications of transacting with a political party led by an individual sanctioned by OFAC, or with members of such political party, would depend on whether the sanctioned individual is involved in the transaction. For example, U.S. financial institutions would not violate sanctions for maintaining the account of or processing a transaction involving a non-sanctioned organisation or non-sanctioned members of the organisation solely because another member of that organisation is sanctioned. However, U.S. financial institutions would be prohibited from engaging in such transactions if the sanctioned individual has an interest in the accounts or transactions.”
The letter further states:
“Unless exempt or otherwise authorised by a general or specific licence, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from transacting with sanctioned individuals, and non-U.S. persons could also face sanctions risk for certain activities involving such persons, such as providing material support to them.”
On June 11, 2024, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, their company Mohamed’s Enterprise, and a Permanent Secretary Mae Thomas Toussaint, allegedly for their roles in public corruption in Guyana.
Two other entities—Hadi’s World and Team Mohamed’s Racing Team, owned or controlled by Mohamed’s Enterprise and Azruddin respectively—were also sanctioned under Executive Order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuses and corruption worldwide.
From the foregoing, it is clear that the WIN political party is not sanctioned by OFAC. Apart from presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed, who is sanctioned by the U.S, candidates supporting WIN are supporting an organisation that is not sanctioned.
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has cleared the candidates who can contest the upcoming election, including the WIN presidential candidate. Despite this, some commercial banks—including Demerara Bank, Citizens Bank, Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry, and New Building Society—have closed accounts linked to him and other WIN candidates.
Guyana banks are not U.S. financial institutions and therefore do not fall under U.S. jurisdiction. The candidates on the WIN list are Guyanese citizens, as the Constitution of Guyana forbids persons with dual citizenship from running for President or serving as Members of the National Assembly. Guyana is a sovereign state not governed by U.S. laws.
While the Mohamed family has been sanctioned for alleged corruption, the Government of Guyana is also implicated, as officials or state agents facilitated aspects of the wrongdoing. To date, the Irfaan Ali administration has taken no steps to investigate these allegations, content to hide behind U.S. sanctions, effectively leaving the Constitution and Laws of Guyana unenforced.
