WIN Leader Azruddin Mohamed has directly confronted Minister of Tourism Susan Rodrigues over alleged falsehoods and a high-profile property ownership scandal, raising serious questions about her integrity and the source of funding for a multi-million-dollar development. The confrontation centers on Rodrigues’ acquisition of prime land at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara—via a certificate of ownership for Lot 949, Plot A, registered on August 8, 2024—while residents in Mocha and Cane View were evicted, allegedly on the grounds that their homes were in the path of the Heroes Highway, a claim later disproven.
The demolitions occurred during Rodrigues’ tenure as Junior Minister responsible for Housing. On January 5, 2023, residents of Cane View/Mocha were forcibly evicted, with their homes and businesses destroyed, resulting in losses estimated in the tens of millions of dollars. The land was subsequently allocated to individuals reportedly linked to the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP), including Rodrigues herself.
According to posts on Team Mohamed’s social media page, the Leader of the We Invest In Nationhood (WIN) Party, which holds 16 seats in the National Assembly as the largest opposition bloc, accused Rodrigues of dishonesty regarding her financial background and property holdings. Mohamed recalled that prior to Rodrigues entering government in August 2020, she had requested financial assistance from him for personal needs, including gas for her car, birthday money, Christmas bonuses, gold, small change, and GPL bills. Mohamed stated:
“Every little ache or pain you needed money, whenever you have your outreach you’re coming to me to ask for money, and for that I’m happy to help as long as it benefits the people.”
He questioned how Rodrigues could credibly claim to be the beneficiary of “generational wealth.”
“Susan, remember you took the Oath in Parliament and swore to serve the people and not your own self-interests and corrupt activities,” Mohamed posted.
He added:
“Stop lying when you know you have not declared most of your assets to the Integrity Commission. Your explanations about the building not being on the lands you own is a blatant lie and meant to confuse the Guyanese people. Stop trying to underestimate the intelligence of Guyanese and trying to fool and trick them. These lands and buildings belong to you and for the first time in your life you should take this opportunity to be honest.”
The posts allege that Rodrigues, now Minister of Tourism, used her prior position overseeing housing to acquire the Herstelling property and construct a multi-million-dollar complex. Mohamed also referenced interactions before and after the 2020 elections, noting that Rodrigues had previously requested personal support from him, and questioned how she accumulated substantial wealth since then.
“If this building does not belong to Minister of Tourism Susan Rodrigues, please tell me why RIGHT NOW as we speak, her brother, Sean Rodrigues, is currently here, and upon seeing us, slammed the car door, ran frantically into the building into one of the rooms, and peeping from behind a curtain?” Mohamed posted.
In another post, Guyana Caribbean Institute for Democracy (CGID) President Rickford Burke criticised the PPP government for failing to compensate affected residents, including Shevon Eastman, who lost her shop, inventory, livestock, and home. Mohamed argued that the situation reflects a broader pattern of alleged favoritism and inequitable land distribution, particularly impacting African Guyanese communities.
Mohamed framed the controversy as part of what he sees as a larger campaign of government corruption and deception, saying:
“The PPP comes out here and instead of addressing [evidence of corrupt activities], they deflect and ‘buse-out.’ I am accustomed to this by now. Come with something different.”
This confrontation by WIN Leader Azruddin Mohamed places the PPP under intensified public scrutiny over property allocation, government accountability, and the alleged enrichment of high-ranking officials, bringing renewed attention to long-standing grievances surrounding the Heroes Highway evictions.
