President Irfaan Ali is once again under intense scrutiny as new allegations of corruption and political entanglements surface, threatening to overshadow his administration ahead of the September 1, 2025, General and Regional Elections.
These allegations are not new. In 2018, Ali faced 19 fraud charges related to the sale of state lands between 2011 and 2015 at Pradoville 2—a project that reportedly involved significant under-valuations and the sale of plots to government officials.
The lands in question are located at Plantation Sparendaam and Goedverwagting on the East Coast of Demerara. At the time of the sale, Ali served as housing minister under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government. Though the charges were dismissed in 2020 after Ali assumed the presidency, they have continued to cast a shadow over his political career.
In a scorching op-ed today, Dr. Mark Devonish, a commentator and renowned physician, laid out a detailed and damning account of what he described as a “web of corruption” linking the President to ongoing financial and ethical scandals, some of which have already drawn international sanctions.
Dr. Devonish referenced the longstanding controversy surrounding Ali’s past, including the 19 criminal fraud charges and questions surrounding his academic qualifications. Ali had reportedly claimed to have earned his first degree from a university in Uitvlugt—an institution that does not exist in Guyana.
“Even the satanic Lucifer… would be shocked with the many Irfaan Ali corruption scandals,” Devonish wrote, highlighting what he called “blatant academic fraud” and “unexplained wealth.”
Enter Azruddin Mohamed, businessman and former donor to the PPP, who has declared his intention to challenge President Ali in the upcoming elections. Mohamed, who has previously faced legal issues, is now embroiled in a controversy involving the undervaluation of luxury vehicles for tax purposes.
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has issued tax demands totaling over $900 million to Mohamed for discrepancies in the declared values of several high-end vehicles, including a Lamborghini Roadster. The GRA alleges that Mohamed under-invoiced the Lamborghini, declaring it at $75,000 when its actual value was estimated at $575,000. The matter is currently before the court.
Devonish argued that the GRA’s actions came only after Mohamed announced his political ambitions, suggesting a shift from political ally to rival. He claimed Mohamed had been shielded as long as he remained within the PPP’s orbit—even receiving an armoured vehicle, allegedly for the protection of President Ali.
Speculation over the PPP leadership’s involvement in the luxury vehicle scandal intensified when Mohamed, under public pressure, began releasing screenshots of WhatsApp messages he claims implicate the President in earlier tax-related assistance. The release came after Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo denied involvement and challenged Mohamed to provide proof.
President Ali has since denied any recollection of the exchanges. His explanation failed to convince many, prompting him to make the remarkable claim that his phone number is “more publicly widespread than PPP corruption itself.”
With the messages now in the public domain, Devonish accused the President of exhibiting “selective amnesia,” asserting that Mohamed’s disclosures point to “a quid pro quo arrangement” in which he allegedly received official assistance in return for financial or political support.
Adding further weight to the controversy is the U.S. Treasury Department’s June 11, 2024, decision to sanction Azruddin Mohamed, his father Nazar Mohamed, and Permanent Secretary Mae Thomas. The sanctions are related to alleged corruption in gold export under-declarations between 2019 and 2023.
The U.S. claims the scheme may have deprived the Guyanese state of over US$50 million in taxes. In response, the Mohameds have since hired a U.S. legal team in an effort to have the Treasury Department remove the sanctions.
Dr. Devonish noted that these allegations were “ignored by the administration” until Mohamed emerged as a political rival. While the government has remained largely silent on the U.S. claims, there is growing hope that public disclosures and international scrutiny will increase pressure on both domestic institutions and global observers to act.
Devonish concluded his op-ed with a pointed call: “We, the plebeians enduring PPP’s pervasive corruption, demand an independent investigation.”
