Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha has become the latest senior government official to publicly push back against allegations made by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, forcefully denying claims surrounding the controversial Black Belly Sheep Project and accusing Mohamed of waging a politically motivated campaign built on “innuendo, distortion and speculation.”
Mustapha’s statement comes amid a flurry of responses from senior members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration as it seeks to rebut a series of allegations levelled by Mohamed against high-ranking government officials. The latest intervention follows recent public statements by President Irfaan Ali and others responding to claims that have dominated political discourse in recent weeks.
In a lengthy statement released on Monday, Mustapha described Mohamed’s latest accusations as entirely unfounded.
“The latest allegations made by Azruddin Mohamed concerning the Black Belly Sheep Project are erroneous and represent nothing more than the latest in a series of politically, legally and personally motivated attacks built on innuendo, distortion and speculation,” the Minister said.
He said he had refrained from responding to previous accusations directed at himself, members of his family and others because many were so baseless they did not merit individual responses.
However, he said the latest allegations reflected what he described as an “emerging and troubling pattern” in which Mohamed was using social media and public accusations to pressure and intimidate others while attempting to portray himself as the victim of political persecution.
“Let me state unequivocally that the allegations against me are false, malicious and entirely without merit. They identify no act of wrongdoing on my part because none exists. Instead, they seek to manufacture suspicion through speculation and insinuation to mislead the public. When the facts do not support his narrative, Mohamed resorts to innuendo. When evidence is absent, he seeks to create suspicion where none exists.”
Mustapha argued that the public should view Mohamed’s allegations against the backdrop of legal proceedings involving the Opposition Leader in the United States.
“The people of Guyana should recognise these attacks for what they are. Mohamed entered politics long after serious investigations and legal proceedings involving him in the United States had already begun.“
He continued:
“In my view, his increasingly reckless public allegations form part of a broader effort to reinforce a narrative of political victimisation in the hope of frustrating those proceedings, while simultaneously targeting those whom he believes have declined to support him or have chosen to distance themselves from him.“
The Agriculture Minister also addressed allegations involving his son, saying he had become the target of sustained attacks after ending his association with Mohamed.
“My son is one such individual. He is a successful businessman, gold miner and qualified medical doctor who has never been involved in politics.“
Mustapha claimed the dispute stemmed from a personal falling out rather than any political issue.
“The public also deserves to understand the background to this matter. It is my view that Azruddin Mohamed has harboured a personal grievance against my son for some time. When my son made the decision to no longer keep his company and to move forward with his own life, the attacks began. From that point onward, my son became the target of repeated personal attacks, insinuations and deliberate attempts to tarnish his reputation.“
He said his son suffered reputational damage because of his previous association with Mohamed.
“My son is an independent adult. He has every right to decide whose company he keeps and whose company he does not. No one should be subjected to a sustained campaign of public attacks simply because they chose to walk away from someone’s company. Personal resentment should never be used as a weapon to target an individual or his family.”
Mustapha maintained that he would not be distracted by what he characterised as politically and legally motivated attacks.
“I will not be distracted by politically and legally motivated attacks designed to advance Mohamed’s personal agenda. My focus remains on serving the people of Guyana with integrity, diligence and accountability.“
He concluded by calling for a political culture grounded in facts rather than speculation.
“The people of Guyana deserve a political culture built on facts, accountability and respect for the truth. Public debate should be informed by evidence, not driven by misinformation, speculation or manufactured controversy. I remain fully committed to serving the people of Guyana with honesty, integrity and unwavering dedication.“
The Minister’s response comes less than 24 hours after the Opposition Leader publicly called for the resignation of the President over the acquisition and rapid development of an expansive ranch at Long Creek along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. Mohamed’s allegations, accompanied by photographs and videos of the property, ignited widespread public debate over the estate’s estimated value—claimed by critics to exceed G$2 billion—and how it was financed. The controversy has since dominated the national conversation and prompted a series of public responses from President Ali and senior government officials, all of whom have rejected the allegations.
Mustapha’s statement is the latest in that series of rebuttals, underscoring the government’s effort to counter the growing political fallout sparked by Mohamed’s allegations. While the administration maintains the claims are false and politically motivated, the controversy has intensified public scrutiny of the President’s assets and fuelled calls from the Opposition for greater transparency. The competing claims remain contested, and no independent findings have been made public to substantiate either side’s position.
See full statement from Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha:
The latest allegations made by Azruddin Mohamed concerning the Black Belly Sheep Project are erroneous and represent nothing more than the latest in a series of politically, legally and personally motivated attacks built on innuendo, distortion and speculation.
Over recent months, there has been a constant stream of accusations, misinformation and social media attacks directed at me, members of my family and others. Many have been so baseless that they did not warrant individual responses.
However, I have chosen to address this latest allegation because it reflects an emerging and troubling pattern in which Mohamed appears to be using social media and public accusations to apply pressure, intimidate others and advance his narrative that he is the victim of political persecution.
Let me state unequivocally that the allegations against me are false, malicious and entirely without merit. They identify no act of wrongdoing on my part because none exists. Instead, they seek to manufacture suspicion through speculation and insinuation to mislead the public. When the facts do not support his narrative, Mohamed resorts to innuendo. When evidence is absent, he seeks to create suspicion where none exists.
The people of Guyana should recognise these attacks for what they are. Mohamed entered politics long after serious investigations and legal proceedings involving him in the United States had already begun.
In my view, his increasingly reckless public allegations form part of a broader effort to reinforce a narrative of political victimisation in the hope of frustrating those proceedings, while simultaneously targeting those whom he believes have declined to support him or have chosen to distance themselves from him.
My son is one such individual. He is a successful businessman, gold miner and qualified medical doctor who has never been involved in politics.
The public also deserves to understand the background to this matter. It is my view that Azruddin Mohamed has harboured a personal grievance against my son for some time. When my son made the decision to no longer keep his company and to move forward with his own life, the attacks began. From that point onward, my son became the target of repeated personal attacks, insinuations and deliberate attempts to tarnish his reputation. Because of his association with Azruddin Mohamed, my son suffered tremendously through sustained public attacks and reputational damage.
My son is an independent adult. He has every right to decide whose company he keeps and whose company he does not. No one should be subjected to a sustained campaign of public attacks simply because they chose to walk away from someone’s company. Personal resentment should never be used as a weapon to target an individual or his family.
I will not be distracted by politically and legally motivated attacks designed to advance Mohamed’s personal agenda. My focus remains on serving the people of Guyana with integrity, diligence and accountability.
The people of Guyana deserve a political culture built on facts, accountability and respect for the truth. Public debate should be informed by evidence, not driven by misinformation, speculation or manufactured controversy. I remain fully committed to serving the people of Guyana with honesty, integrity and unwavering dedication.
