Hana Mohamed, Office Manager in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, was released on bail after being arrested on Wednesday, while her brother, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, remained in police custody on Thursday amid a widening controversy over the police investigation into government surveillance footage.
The arrests have provoked condemnation from political activist Burke, who believes the detention of the WIN leader is intended to prevent him from organising or participating in protests during the October 29–30 visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Guyana.
Burke has called on Guyanese to engage in mass protests over Mohamed’s arrest and what he described as the government’s abuse of the police force. He has also urged citizens to make the country “ungovernable” through protests until the rule of law and democratic governance are restored.
Hana’s arrest reportedly arose from a complaint alleging that she damaged a vehicle belonging to Senior Superintendent of Police Prem Narine, head of the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch.
According to Kiskadee Watch, the complaint concerned alleged damage to a vehicle mirror. Hana’s sister, Hadiyyah Mohamed, disputed the allegation, claiming that video footage showed the vehicle leaving the scene with both mirrors intact. She also questioned the police response.
Meanwhile, Azruddin Mohamed’s detention stems from an investigation into the alleged unauthorised release of surveillance footage relating to an October 12 confrontation involving Narine and the Opposition Leader.
Mohamed was arrested on Wednesday at his Eccles, East Bank Demerara residence and taken to the Kitty Police Station.
Police are investigating allegations that a 20-year-old constable attached to the Guyana Police Force’s Command Centre obtained the footage and handed it over in exchange for G$800,000.
The recordings were released publicly by Mohamed during a press conference on Monday, October 26, when he challenged the police account of the confrontation.
The Opposition Leader has alleged that Narine fired shots at the vehicle in which he was travelling, describing the incident as an assassination attempt. Police have presented a different account.
Mohamed’s attorney, Damien Da Silva, has denied that his client paid for the recordings, maintaining that they were supplied by public-spirited individuals, including senior police officers.
The latest detention also comes against the backdrop of a separate criminal case arising from the October 12 incident. Mohamed, his driver, Eugene Thorne, and videographer Mario Mohamed were charged in connection with firearm and ammunition possession and attempting to pervert the course of justice. They pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in that matter.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has indicated that additional charges against the Opposition Leader could follow in relation to the handling and release of the surveillance footage.
With the royal visit underway, Burke’s call for mass protests has brought the arrest into the centre of a wider political dispute over policing, accountability and the treatment of the parliamentary opposition.
The immediate question is whether investigators will bring formal charges against Azruddin Mohamed or release him, while his sister has already secured bail. The allegations against both remain subject to the legal process.
