Attorney-at-law Eusi Anderson, representing Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, has given the Guyana Police Force until Saturday evening to return property seized during an ongoing investigation, while warning that his client’s cellular devices contain sensitive and confidential information and raising questions over the deletion of his main Facebook page.
In a formal demand today to Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken, Mohamed’s legal team called for the immediate return of his vehicles, boat, cellular phones, driver’s licence and other personal belongings being retained by police.
The lawyer said the continued possession of the phones is particularly concerning because, according to their client, they contain confidential information, including material provided by whistleblowers and information relating to alleged corruption and fraud.
The attorneys also raised the disappearance of the Team Mohamed Facebook page, which had more than 500,000 followers and was primarily accessed through a device currently in police custody.
According to the correspondence, the page was deleted at approximately 5 p.m. Friday without Mohamed’s authorisation.
The lawyer has not publicly established who deleted the page or what mechanism was used to remove it. The Guyana Police Force has also not publicly indicated that it was responsible for the deletion.
The legal team further says Mohamed asked investigators to examine the drone’s flight data and history, arguing that the information could provide evidence relevant to the investigation and potentially clear him and the other individuals detained in connection with the incident.
The demand follows a series of events at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, involving Mohamed, suspected drone activity and heightened security around President Irfaan Ali’s private residence.
Police have said a drone was found in a vehicle in which Mohamed was travelling, while another was later discovered during a search of the residence of technician Dwayne Ross.
Mohamed has denied owning or operating the drone. He was initially released on self-bail but was later detained again after returning to the area and broadcasting live on Facebook. He was subsequently released.
The police investigation remains ongoing, with authorities examining electronic devices and other evidence gathered during the operation.
The latest demand could now shift the dispute into the courts.
Mohamed’s attorney have given Hicken until 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 5, to return the seized property.
Should the deadline pass without the property being returned, the lawyers said they have been instructed to initiate appropriate legal proceedings without further notice.
The dispute over the property comes as Mohamed is simultaneously challenging extradition proceedings initiated against him and his father, businessman Nazar Mohamed, at the request of the United States.
The latest legal demand therefore places additional scrutiny on the police investigation, particularly over the handling of electronic devices, the preservation of potentially relevant evidence and the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Mohamed’s principal social-media platform.
The police and Government have not yet publicly responded to the lawyers’ demands or allegations.
The matter remains developing.
