In a stunning turn of events, a Guyanese businessman facing extradition to the US on serious charges has been elected as the country's opposition leader. Azruddin Mohamed, 38, is set to become one of the most prominent figures in Guyana's politics, despite being wanted by the authorities over allegations of gold smuggling and money laundering.
Mohamed's election comes six months after he founded a political party, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), which has quickly gained popularity in the country. The party now finds itself as the second-largest force in parliament, securing Mohamed's position as opposition leader with an overwhelming majority.
The controversy surrounding Mohamed's leadership is not new, however. He and his father, Nazar Mohamed, were indicted by a US court last year on federal charges of smuggling gold and laundering money to evade taxes. The allegations date back over a year, when the US treasury department also sanctioned the duo for allegedly evading more than $50 million in taxes.
The case has raised questions about corruption within Guyana's government, particularly in the oil-rich country's lucrative gold industry. Authorities have since shut down all of the Mohameds' businesses and commercial bank accounts, highlighting the significant impact of their alleged wrongdoing.
Mohamed himself remains defiant about his chances of extradition, stating that "a person is innocent until proven guilty". He has also suggested that efforts to prevent him from becoming opposition leader are driven by the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) fear of WIN's growing popularity. Mohamed reiterated his commitment to serving the people of Guyana and expressed gratitude for their support.
The development has sparked unease among some lawmakers, including the house speaker, Manzoor Nadir, who described himself as being in a "difficult position" due to overseeing the appointment of a fugitive as opposition leader. Despite this, Nadir ultimately congratulated Mohamed on his victory and chaired the brief proceedings.
Mohamed's election comes six months after he founded a political party, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), which has quickly gained popularity in the country. The party now finds itself as the second-largest force in parliament, securing Mohamed's position as opposition leader with an overwhelming majority.
The controversy surrounding Mohamed's leadership is not new, however. He and his father, Nazar Mohamed, were indicted by a US court last year on federal charges of smuggling gold and laundering money to evade taxes. The allegations date back over a year, when the US treasury department also sanctioned the duo for allegedly evading more than $50 million in taxes.
The case has raised questions about corruption within Guyana's government, particularly in the oil-rich country's lucrative gold industry. Authorities have since shut down all of the Mohameds' businesses and commercial bank accounts, highlighting the significant impact of their alleged wrongdoing.
Mohamed himself remains defiant about his chances of extradition, stating that "a person is innocent until proven guilty". He has also suggested that efforts to prevent him from becoming opposition leader are driven by the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) fear of WIN's growing popularity. Mohamed reiterated his commitment to serving the people of Guyana and expressed gratitude for their support.
The development has sparked unease among some lawmakers, including the house speaker, Manzoor Nadir, who described himself as being in a "difficult position" due to overseeing the appointment of a fugitive as opposition leader. Despite this, Nadir ultimately congratulated Mohamed on his victory and chaired the brief proceedings.
. I mean, he's got some major baggage with those US charges, and you can't just ignore that. It's like, if he gets caught (and it's only a matter of time), his whole party will be tainted too. And what really gets me is that the government is basically enabling him to take office by not extraditing him... it's like they're playing with fire 
. I guess you could say Mohamed has been pretty slick, but trust me, this is gonna end badly 
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What a perfect storm of corruption and scandal. And to think, his party, WIN, is gaining popularity like crazy? It's either going to be his downfall or the country's demise... I don't know which way it'll be, but it can't end well for anyone involved! 
Oh man, that's like, so much drama! I can see why people would be uneasy about Azruddin becoming the opposition leader, considering those US charges. It's crazy how he went from being wanted by authorities to holding a powerful position in politics. 
. It's like a wild card in Guyana's politics. You gotta wonder if this is all just a master plan to shake things up or if he really has the support of the people 
. I hope for the sake of Guyana's democracy, he can navigate this whole thing without too much drama 
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. The fact that authorities have shut down all of his business and bank accounts raises some major red flags about the corruption in Guyana's government.
. And who knows, maybe he'll be able to turn things around and prove his innocence 
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Like, what even is that? It's wild to think that his party, WIN, just took off overnight and now they're the second-largest force in parliament. I'm curious to see how this whole situation plays out, but it does raise some red flags about corruption in Guyana's government. Hopefully, Mohamed can keep his focus on serving the people and not get too caught up in all the drama surrounding him. 
& I'm LIVING for it 
he's like a total underdog story - from being wanted by US authorities to now leading the opposition party WIN 
their popularity is insane & I'm shipping him as our new Guyanese leader 
can u believe he was indicted last year for gold smuggling & money laundering but still managed to win this election 
Mohamed seems like a total class act - innocent until proven guilty and all that 
I'm low-key rooting for him to take down the PPP party 
cant believe how fast his party WIN took off 
ppl r loving him & its making the ruling party super nervous 
its like, what happens when a fugitive becomes leadin man of the oppostion? 
. people r worried bout what ppl think of him, not the fact that he's under investigation for serious crimes 
what's next? a wanted man in charge of the opposition? I mean, who needs stability when you've got a fugitive with a silver tongue, right? 
The people of Guyana must be thrilled to have their future in good hands... or should I say, bad hands? 
. I mean, he's not even hiding his dodgy past anymore, just openly stating it and expecting people to believe him? 
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! On one hand, it's great that he's got a huge following and has quickly become the face of this new party, WIN. But on the other hand, dude's facing serious extradition stuff and allegedly got his businesses shut down... what's good for Guyana, huh? 
. First off, you've got this guy wanted by the US on some pretty serious charges – gold smuggling and money laundering, yeah? And then he goes and becomes one of the most prominent figures in Guyana's politics? It's wild.