In a surprising development, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Thursday morning withdrew and discontinued all tax-related charges against prominent businessmen and gold dealers Nazar “Shell” and Azruddin Mohamed of Mohamed’s Enterprise. The father and son appeared before Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, but when the matter was called, the GRA’s prosecutor informed the court that the agency would no longer be pursuing the case. No reason was provided for the sudden withdrawal.
The case had originated from what the GRA described as an extensive audit of Mohamed’s Enterprise’s gold export and financial records. Investigators had alleged that the company underreported billions in income, resulting in G$34.07 billion in understated income tax from 2019 to 2023, with total amounts due—including interest and penalties—calculated at G$191.17 billion.
Specifically, the GRA had charged that Nazar Mohamed filed an incorrect tax return reporting G$66,768,646 in liability on gold exports, understating his taxable amount by nearly G$4.94 billion, in violation of Section 110(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act.
His son, Azruddin Mohamed—who was sworn in as a Parliamentarian on Monday—was alleged to have reported a tax liability of G$105,483,295, understating his true obligations by over G$7.03 billion. Additional charges against Nazar Mohamed included understating taxes by approximately G$6.96 billion.
Thursday’s withdrawal has sparked speculation that the decision may be politically motivated. Some observers suggest the charges may have been filed to prevent Azruddin Mohamed from contesting the September 1, 2025, General and Regional Elections. Others draw parallels with the case of former President Irfaan Ali, whose 19 fraud charges were dropped shortly after he assumed office following the 2020 elections.
Political analysts note that the GRA has rarely pursued a case of this magnitude without controversy, and there is speculation that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) may have been concerned about names within the political establishment that could have been exposed in assisting Azruddin Mohamed with the importation of his luxury vehicle.
Previously, Azruddin had publicly signaled that President Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo played a role in clearing the vehicle through customs and even produced WhatsApp conversations between himself and the president. Both the President and Vice President have denied the allegations.
The Mohameds’ legal troubles, however, extend beyond Guyana. In June 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned both Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed for alleged corruption and tax evasion in the gold export sector, claiming they had exploited weaknesses in the system to enrich themselves.
In October 2025, a U.S. grand jury in the Southern District of Florida indicted the two men on multiple charges, including conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, and gold smuggling, alleging that over 10,000 kilogrammes of gold were exported without proper taxes or duties, costing Guyana an estimated US$50 million in lost revenue.
The charge of extradition is being pursued in Guyana courts, as of Friday where the case was first heard by Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman. The Mohameds were each granted $150,000 bail and ordered to report to the Ruimveldt Police Station every Friday between 13:00 and 15:00 hrs, starting Friday, November 7, 2025.
With local proceedings now closed, the focus turns to the ongoing U.S. criminal case, while the sudden withdrawal raises broader questions about political influence, transparency, and the integrity of Guyana’s gold export sector—an industry long criticized for weak oversight and vulnerability to corruption.
