Former President and current Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s relationships with controversial figures have come under increasing scrutiny, revealing a troubling pattern of questionable associations that raise serious concerns about corruption and political favouritism during his tenure. Notably, his ties to Edul “Ed” Ahmad and Chinese businessman Su Zhirong have sparked major controversy, shedding light on an extensive network of political and financial entanglements that could have undermined the integrity of his government.
Edul ‘Ed’ Ahmad: The Real Estate Mogul with a Fraudulent Past
Edul ‘Ed’ Ahmad, a former real estate businessman from Leonora, West Coast Demerara, was a well-connected figure in both Guyana and the United States. His relationships spanned political circles in both nations, but his career took a disastrous turn when he was charged in 2011 in the United States for orchestrating a multi-million-dollar mortgage fraud scheme. Prosecutors accused Ahmad of masterminding a US$50 million fraud that saw American lending institutions swindled out of millions.
In October 2012, Ahmad pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme, and faced up to 30 years in prison and fines up to US$15 million. However, in a bid to reduce his sentence, Ahmad turned state’s witness, cooperating with federal authorities and helping to convict his long-time friend, New York State Senator John Sampson. Ahmad’s cooperation was instrumental in securing a conviction for Sampson on charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements, a move that reportedly helped Ahmad secure a lighter sentence.
In 2017, Ahmad was sentenced to just two years in prison and ordered to repay US$2.6 million to the victims of his fraud.Prosecutors stated that Ahmad’s cooperation led to a sentence below federal guidelines. This was further supported during the sentencing hearing, when Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Solomon told Brooklyn Federal Judge Dora Irizarry that Ahmad’s collaboration with authorities was “impressive.”
Meanwhile, in Guyana, Ahmad’s friendship with Jagdeo was well-known. In 2011, when questioned about his relationship with Ahmad, then-President Jagdeo admitted to knowing him for over 15 years, stating, “I know this gentleman well. I considered him all these years a friend but if he does anything illegal, it doesn’t mean that I will condone this. No, I will not condone him.” Yet, evidence suggests that the Jagdeo administration may have enabled Ahmad’s corrupt activities, particularly in relation to a questionable land lease deal.
In December 2015, it was revealed that the PPP government, under Jagdeo, had leased a prime piece of land opposite the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) headquarters to Ahmad for just GY$500,000 per year—a mere pittance for a parcel of land with significant development potential. The transaction, which involved Ahmad’s application and approval in 2008, within a mere seven days, raised red flags about the extent of Jagdeo’s involvement and the preferential treatment Ahmad received under his administration.
Su Zhirong: From Friend to Foe in the Battle Over Corruption
Jagdeo’s questionable alliances extend beyond Ahmad. In July 2022, the former president filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Chinese businessman Su Zhirong, accusing him of making false claims that Jagdeo had taken bribes in exchange for government contracts. Zhirong, who had operated in Guyana for over a decade and controlled large concessions in the lumber, fuel, and quarry industries, alleged that Jagdeo had acted as a middleman for foreign businessmen seeking lucrative deals.
In a damning VICE News documentary aired in June 2022, Zhirong accused Jagdeo of accepting “cash bribes” for facilitating government contracts. The documentary included an undercover meeting at Jagdeo’s private residence, where the Vice President allegedly confirmed his involvement in business dealings, even as he denied any financial wrongdoing. Jagdeo, caught on camera, dismissed any suggestion of personal financial gain, claiming, “No, no, no I’m not getting involved in business. Su is my friend. He gets all the support. Su deals with all the agreements. I don’t. The thing is that my thing is that I’m in government, so I assist from the government side.”
Jagdeo’s feigned ignorance about his role in business dealings, coupled with his candid acknowledgment of providing “support” to Zhirong, raised serious questions about the nature of their relationship. Zhirong, who had secured extensive concessions that could only have been granted by the government, had enjoyed access to significant state resources under Jagdeo’s watch. The idea that the Vice President would provide such substantial “support” to a foreign businessman without personal involvement in the deals seems highly suspect.
This claim was further corroborated when Jagdeo, confronted by VICE News journalist Isobel Yeung, initially denied knowledge of Zhirong’s business activities before admitting their long-standing friendship. In light of this revelation, it becomes apparent that Jagdeo’s relationships with men like Ahmad and Zhirong were not just casual associations, but key elements of a broader network of political favouritism, with potentially corrupt dealings at their core.
A Pattern of Corruption and Nepotism
Jagdeo’s relationships with Ahmad and Zhirong, both men with tainted histories, are now coming under close scrutiny as part of a broader examination of political corruption in Guyana. From multi-million-dollar fraud schemes to alleged bribery for government contracts, these friendships reveal a pattern of corrupt behavior that casts a dark shadow over Jagdeo’s political legacy.
Whether it was Ahmad’s real estate fraud or Zhirong’s bribery accusations, Jagdeo’s association to these figures raises uncomfortable questions about the degree to which political connections could be leveraged for personal and financial gain. With the revelations from the VICE documentary and ongoing investigations into Ahmad’s land deals in Guyana, it is becoming increasingly clear that Jagdeo’s political friendships were not only questionable in their nature but give rise to question of complicity in corrupt practices that continue to tarnish Guyana’s political landscape.
The vice president’s legacy has become inseparable from allegations of corruption that permeated his time in office, and the damage done to Guyana’s reputation which may take years to repair.
