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An open question to Azruddin Mohamed: Have you completed your declarations to the Integrity Commission yet? The Leader of the Opposition (LOO) has an obligation under the laws of Guyana to do so. Will the LOO tell the nation when he plans to meet this obligation? Will the Integrity Commission tell the nation if the LOO has fulfilled his obligations for 2025-2026?
Let us be clear: President Irfaan Ali has submitted his declarations to the Integrity Commission, as he is obligated to do under Guyana’s laws. We do not know whether the LOO has done so, although we are reasonably confident that he is intentionally violating the laws of Guyana to make his declarations. He is under indictment in the USA; President Irfaan Ali is not under indictment anywhere. The LOO has been indicted for evasion of taxes, although the indictment has been withdrawn for technical reasons to permit the USA to proceed with its extradition request. President Irfaan Ali has never been indicted for tax evasion. The LOO has been under suspicion for murder; President Ali has never been under suspicion for any kind of murder. President Ali has lived within the confines of the law; the LOO has lived precariously outside the law.
The President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali, we know, has been up-to-date with his Integrity Commission’s declarations for decades now. Azruddin Mohamed has an obligation under the law to declare his assets and his wealth to the Integrity Commission as a public duty. We know he owns valuable and massive amounts of properties, land and gold mines. We just do not know how much. We are simply asking him to tell the Commission, reminding him of his obligation. If he has not submitted his Integrity Commission’s declarations, it is sheer hypocrisy to question the wealth of others.
Guyanese have become numb to the disinformation, dishonesty and hypocrisy from the owner of the political party known as WIN. Azruddin Mohamed and his family are among the richest families in Guyana. They are among the biggest property owners, including land owners in the country. None of this is legacy wealth. They did not inherit it from parents and grandparents. Far from questioning how the Mohameds acquired so much wealth, we simply want to know whether Azruddin Mohamed has declared his wealth since that is a basic requirement for senior politicians. This has become even more critical since he is under indictment from the US for corruption and he is actively trying to avoid his extradition.
When Azruddin Mohamed decided to become a politician and formed his own party, when he nominated himself to take up a seat that was won by WIN, and when he made himself available to become the LOO, certain constitutional obligations came with those privileges and honours. This includes declaring to the Integrity Commission his assets and his wealth, including bank accounts and other financial wealth. We know that he has no bank account because banks consider him a danger to their businesses. Yet he splurges and “buys” favours. We do not know the source of the money that he so freely spends.
This week, Azruddin Mohamed did a video with pictures, illegally obtained, of a modern farm owned by President Irfaan Ali. The contention is that the farm is only possible because it was obtained through corruption. There was no evidence of any corruption, other than innuendoes. Azruddin Mohamed knows that he simply has to put a story out there without any evidence and that a certain section of the population will jump on it as “God’s” truth. Yet, as a leader, he has an obligation and responsibility to show people his evidence.
Making matters worse, President Ali has confirmed that Azruddin’s father contacted him prior to the release of the video. If it is true that the elder Mohamed communicated with the President, the question is why. It is the classical “shakedown”, a blackmail scheme.
We know that President Ali has faithfully declared his assets and wealth to the Integrity Commission, and he has been doing this for years. We know that he owned the farms since before 2020 and that this information was part of the declarations. He has never made this a secret. Countless persons can tell stories of Irfaan Ali’s agriculture investments and his dreams for his farm off the Linden Highway long before he became President. Ruminations, like the Integrity Commission, knows that President Ali, as an ordinary MP, before 2020, owned the farm. When he was Minister of Tourism, he started a small juice-bottling business using his own fruits. He also had vision of creating his own spice mixes using products from his farm. While he did come from a farming family, he himself became a farmer decades ago. These are well-known facts, and those who pretend they do not know are being dishonest.
President Ali has stated categorically that he has not used state funds for the modernisation of his farm. Nothing in the Auditor General reports comes close to suggesting this happened. When Azruddin Mohamed showed a video of the farm and accused President Ali of corruption, he had a duty to present evidence for the allegations. Ordinary citizens may get away with such irresponsible behaviour. This, however, is unacceptable for the LOO. A much higher standard is expected from the LOO.
But we come right back to the original question – has the LOO submitted his assets and wealth declarations? It is sheer hypocrisy for the LOO to accuse the President of corruption, without evidence, while he is desperately fighting extradition to the US, where he is facing serious criminal charges. This is not just hypocrisy and total dishonesty; it is audacity, arrogance and disrespect and disregard for the laws of Guyana.

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Dear Editor,
In one of his latest opinion pieces, GHK Lall calls for “foreign experts” to examine President Dr Irfaan Ali’s assets in light of corruption allegations made by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed concerning the President’s farm.
If that is the standard GHK Lall wishes to promote, then it should be applied consistently.
What about the individual making the accusations? Azruddin Mohamed and his father have been using every available legal avenue to avoid being held criminally accountable in the United States, where they have been indicted following investigations conducted by the very kind of “foreign experts” Mr Lall now appears eager to invoke. Yet there has been no comparable call from GHK Lall for the Mohameds to submit themselves to the judicial process or to cease employing repeated legal tactics aimed at delaying extradition.
The inconsistency is difficult to ignore.
Why is GHK Lall unwilling to apply the same standard to Azruddin Mohamed that he seeks to apply to the President? As the holder of the constitutional office of Opposition Leader, Mr Mohamed presents himself as an alternative national leader. That office carries with it an expectation of accountability and transparency.
Azruddin Mohamed has been sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami on 11 counts, including allegations of money laundering, wire fraud, and mail fraud. Those charges stem from an investigation conducted by US law enforcement authorities – the same “foreign experts” Mr Lall appears to place such confidence in when it suits his argument.
If foreign scrutiny is to be accepted as the benchmark, then it cannot be selectively embraced only when politically convenient.
Principles mean little if they are applied to one individual while another is shielded from the very same level of examination.

Yours faithfully,
Cedric Lord

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Dear Editor,
I would like the public to know that I am not writing this letter on behalf of the President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali, against the false and pernicious allegations made by the United States-sanctioned and indicted leader of the opposition, Mr Azruddin Mohamed, because His Excellency is very much capable of defending himself, and he did so publicly by saying that he will not succumb to blackmail from the Mohameds whose agenda is to stop the ongoing extraditions against them. Instead, what I would like the people of Guyana to know is that I am fully aware that the President had obtained the land and established the farm long before he ascended to the Presidency in August 2020. Furthermore, the farm was developed by President Al’s father, and on weekends, even before President Dr Irfaan Ali became a Minister in the Government, he and friends would spend long hours on weekends to fill bags with sand to retain water for the plants. He would also refit used, condemned school buses for his office and for sleeping purposes. Therefore, Mohamed’s recent postings of pictures of the President’s farm on the Linden-Soesdyke highway are totally false and fabricated, and I would urge him to do his research before issuing statements that are utterly incorrect.
I am therefore calling on the leader of the opposition to cease and desist from making such erroneous, contentious and bogus accusations against President Dr Ali. The Mohameds should refrain from such deceitful and mendacious comments and should adhere to the century-old phrase “Engage your brain before opening your mouth.” The people ought to know that he is incapable and inept at adhering to the phrase, because if he had checked with the Integrity Commission, he would have known that all of President Ali’s assets, including his recent Facebook posting of the farm, were declared to the Commission prior to him becoming President. But the opposition leader does not dwell on facts only on fictitious rumours, contrived innuendos and baseless information to gain points and recognition from the public. He has become a public nuisance with phoney and fake information which will further damage and destroy his already poor character and reputation.
The truth is Azruddin Mohamed is dishonest and untrustworthy, and not only has he disparaged the title as the leader of the opposition, but he has also disrespected his role as the leader of the opposition and has caused great harm to the esteemed position. The time has come for the Mohameds to rethink their hopeless strategy because it will not do them any good or take the focus away from the US sanctions and indictment and the ongoing extradition proceedings. Time is not on their side if they are trying to gain sympathy from the people for their evil deeds. The Bible warned against evildoers and told the people to avoid their company, resist their influence and reject their lies and that they will ultimately face divine justice. Simply put, given the fact that the Mohameds have defrauded our beloved Guyana and its people of more than US$50 million in taxes, it is enough proof that they should not be trusted. They have robbed the people of Guyana. But as the saying goes, if you do the crime, then you should be prepared to do the time when caught, given a fair trial and found guilty by a court of law.

Yours sincerely,
Ray Isaacs

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Guyana and several Caricom Member States dispatched a ship carrying 88 containers of humanitarian relief supplies to earthquake-hit Venezuela on Tuesday.
The vessel departed from the BK Wharf at Kingston, Georgetown, under the supervision of Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, who acted on behalf of President Dr Irfaan Ali.
The shipment includes food items, medical supplies and other essential equipment, along with 300 black water storage tanks and two pieces of heavy earth-moving equipment. The relief supplies were contributed by the Governments of Guyana, Belize, the Bahamas, St Lucia, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the local Private Sector, civil society organisations, citizens, and members of the Venezuelan community in Guyana.
Addressing those gathered before the vessel departed, Dr Singh said that the June 24 earthquake had caused widespread destruction, significant loss of life, and injuries across Venezuela.

He noted that immediately after the disaster, President Ali conveyed condolences to the Venezuelan people and mobilised a national and regional humanitarian response.
“Today’s [Tuesday] shipment is the result of that effort,” Dr Singh said, adding that the initiative received support from the Guyanese Government, the Private Sector, citizens, Venezuelans living in Guyana, and several Caricom Heads of Government.
He said the shipment reflects not only Guyana’s contributions but also the collective support of participating Caricom member states.
On behalf of President Ali, Dr Singh thanked the seven Caricom countries that contributed to the relief effort, as well as Guyanese businesses, citizens and members of the Venezuelan community in Guyana for their donations.
“Venezuela is our neighbour, the Venezuelan people are our neighbours, and so we consider this to be the least that we could do as a country in this moment of tragedy in support of our Venezuelan brothers and sisters,” he said.
The vessel is expected to arrive in Venezuela within four days.
Dr Singh also noted that the shipment is part of a wider international humanitarian response. He said the Government remains in close contact with United States counterparts who are already on the ground in Venezuela.
According to the Minister, the relief supplies will be handed over to the US humanitarian team for consolidation with the broader international response before being distributed to those affected.
On June 24, the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes caused extensive damage in parts of Venezuela near the country’s capital.
Based on the latest reports coming out of Caracas, more than 3685 persons have died and another 16,740 were injured from last month’s twin quakes, while 17,907 are homeless.
Rescuers are still combing through collapsed buildings with the hopes of finding survivors.
Nevertheless, this show of solidarity and support between Guyana and Venezuela comes as the two South American neighbours are embroiled in a decades-long border controversy. The matter is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is expected to deliver a ruling sometime later this year or early next year.

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The modernisation of Guyana’s occupational health and safety framework is an overdue reform that deserves support. As the country’s economy expands, industries evolve and workplaces become increasingly sophisticated, the legal and regulatory systems responsible for protecting workers and the public must evolve at the same pace. A framework designed for the realities of decades past cannot be expected to effectively govern the complexities of today’s economy.
The announcement that the Government is reviewing and updating the nation’s health and safety regulations indicates an important recognition that legislation must remain relevant if it is to serve its intended purpose. Laws are expected to respond to changing technologies, emerging industries, new methods of work and evolving risks. When they fail to do so, the consequences extend beyond administrative inefficiency. They can expose workers, employers and members of the public to unnecessary danger while creating uncertainty for businesses seeking to operate responsibly.
Guyana’s economic landscape has changed dramatically within a relatively short period. Large-scale infrastructure projects, an expanding oil and gas industry, rapid urban development, growth and increasing Private Sector investment have transformed the country’s workplace environment. The machinery, equipment, engineering techniques and specialised operations now commonplace in many sectors would have been unimaginable when many existing regulations were drafted.
This transformation has created new occupational hazards that require modern standards of risk assessment, accident prevention, emergency response, environmental protection and worker training. It has also introduced new categories of employment and contracting arrangements that demand clear legal guidance regarding duties, responsibilities and accountability.
Outdated legislation often fails to address emerging technologies, overlook modern safety practices or leave significant gaps in enforcement. In some cases, regulations become so disconnected from current operations that compliance becomes difficult to interpret or inconsistently applied. Such uncertainty benefits no one.
A modern health and safety regime should provide clarity rather than confusion, as employers require practical, enforceable standards that reflect contemporary workplace conditions.
Importantly, modernisation should not be viewed solely as a response to industrial expansion. Every sector stands to benefit from updated standards. Construction sites may capture public attention because of their visibility and scale, but health and safety concerns extend equally to manufacturing facilities, agriculture, transportation, healthcare institutions, commercial enterprises, public offices and countless other workplaces. Each sector presents unique risks that require regulations capable of adapting to changing operational realities.
The pace of technological advancement alone makes periodic legislative review indispensable. Automation, digital monitoring systems, advanced lifting equipment, specialised industrial machinery and increasingly complex engineering processes continue to reshape workplaces worldwide. At the same time, international best practices continue to evolve as research identifies better methods of reducing workplace injuries and occupational illnesses. Countries seeking to remain competitive cannot afford regulatory systems that remain frozen in time while industries continue moving forward.
Modern legislation also contributes to economic confidence as investors increasingly evaluate regulatory certainty alongside infrastructure, market opportunities and workforce availability. A credible occupational health and safety framework helps reduce costly workplace accidents, minimise operational disruptions and encourage greater professionalism across industries.
However, legislative reform must be accompanied by effective implementation. Updated laws will achieve little without adequate enforcement capacity, regular inspections, technical expertise and ongoing education. Employers must understand new obligations, workers must receive proper training and regulators must possess the resources necessary to ensure compliance. Modern legislation should be supported by practical guidance, stakeholder engagement and continuous review to ensure it remains responsive as industries continue to evolve.
The process should also recognise that reform is not a one-time exercise, as economic development, technological innovation and workplace practices will continue changing long after new regulations are enacted. Establishing mechanisms for periodic review will help prevent the regulatory framework from once again becoming outdated. Continuous evaluation should become a permanent feature of governance rather than an occasional response to mounting deficiencies.
Guyana stands at a stage of development where modern institutions are just as important as modern infrastructure. The decision to overhaul the country’s occupational health and safety regulations is necessary. Modern economies require modern laws, and legislation must evolve alongside the industries it regulates.

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A 32-year-old miner was reportedly shot dead by a security officer during an altercation at Sands Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven, on Monday.
The deceased has been identified as Ceton Courtman of St Monica Village, Upper Pomeroon River, Region Two.

Based on preliminary investigations, the deceased and the 27-year-old suspect, who is attached to a private security firm, were involved in an altercation during which the suspect allegedly discharged a round that struck the miner in the head.
The injured man was transported to the Aurora Gold Mines (AGM) Medical Centre, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. An inspection of the body revealed a gunshot wound to the centre of the head.
The suspect was subsequently arrested and is presently in police custody. Police stated that a Tacentre32 pistol, along with 12 matching live rounds of ammunition, was recovered as investigations continue.

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…as Government pursues new export markets

Hundreds of rice farmers from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) on Tuesday received their subsidy from the Government at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora. The Region Three distribution is part of a nationwide $3 billion subsidy programme for rice farmers. This initiative is in keeping with a commitment made by President Dr Irfaan Ali in April following consultations with farmers across the country.

From those consultations, it was agreed that rice farmers cultivating 50 acres or less will receive $15,000 per acre, while those cultivating more than 50 acres will receive $10,000 per acre. More than 5100 rice farmers cultivating over 235,000 acres of rice across Guyana are set to benefit. The initiative was introduced as a targeted intervention to support rice producers as the industry continues to face increasing global challenges affecting agricultural production, input costs and international markets. In Region Three, 560 rice farmers cultivating a combined 15,636 acres are expected to benefit from more than $201 million in relief.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said the Government had already commenced the distribution in Region Two, where more than 1300 farmers benefited.
“…We started this programme last Saturday in Region Two. His Excellency, the President, was there himself, and we rolled out the programme where approximately 1301 farmers benefited, and we paid out $403,149,360 in Region Two. In Region Three over the next few hours, the staff will be here throughout the day so that people who come late can collect their cheques. We have 560 farmers listed who cultivated 15,636 acres of land during the last crop, and we will be paying out $201,696,055 in Region Three.” According to the Minister, the total cost of the programme is $2.763 billion.
“That is direct cash to you, the farmers, which you can utilise. As the Minister within the Ministry said earlier, those cultivating 50 acres or less will receive $15,000 per acre, while those cultivating more than 50 acres will receive $10,000 per acre,” he said, adding that the initiative will help reduce farmers’ production costs while providing them with additional disposable income.
He pointed out that farmers also have a role to play in lowering production costs, noting that land rental and drainage and irrigation (D&I) charges remain among the industry’s major expenses. He said the Government reversed the increases in those charges after taking office in 2020, restoring them to their previous rates.
“This will help to reduce production costs, and we are working with you. Farmers also have to play their part because, when we travel around the country, one of the main production costs is land rental and D&I charges. When we came into Government in 2020, we reversed all the increases that were imposed by the APNU+AFC Administration. We brought the charges back to where they were. For example, in the MMA Scheme, land rental and D&I charges were $3,500 per acre when we were previously in Government. When the APNU+AFC got into office, they increased it to $15,000.”

Growing agriculture industry
The outlook for Guyana’s rice industry is also promising, as Mustapha revealed that the Government is pursuing new export markets, including Mexico, Haiti, Cuba and other CARICOM countries.
“We have been talking to Mexico. We have been discussing opportunities with Haiti. There will be new opportunities in Cuba, and we are still looking within the CARICOM region so that we can secure more markets.” He also announced a series of infrastructure projects for Region Three aimed at further supporting rice farmers.
“In the coming months, you will see massive infrastructure development in Region Three. A number of new farm-to-market roads will be built. We know for a fact that we have to modernise the industry. We are also looking to introduce drone technology to help small-scale farmers because they are experiencing serious labour shortages. We want to modernise the sector by using drones to apply fertiliser. We are also encouraging farmers to set aside one or two acres of their land to diversify production so that we can work with them to create integrated farming systems.”

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The news that the US sent only US$300 million in aid to Venezuela in the wake of their earthquake, which flattened whole sections of towns with fatalities over 3350 and counting, has raised criticism. Not only because over US$8 billion is sitting in US-controlled accounts from sales of Venezuelan oil – but because back in 2010, the comparable Haitian earthquake they’d sent in US$3 billion in aid – within US$13 billion overall commitments!! So why didn’t the Yanks do even comparably this time?? Was it just because they’ve cut back their USAID programme?? In your Eyewitness’s view, it’s more likely because of the rampant CORRUPTION that saw most of that money never reaching the intended beneficiaries – the Haitian people!! Surprisingly, the biggest culprits appear to be the Clintons – through whose “charitable” Trust, most of the money was funnelled!!
And that’s the thing about corruption: it infects everyone – high and low; rich and poor!!  And sadly, the economic system we practice – “capitalism” – actually encourages this tendency since it comes with its own morality – where money is god and making money is the reason for our existence. By any means necessary.
But even Karl Marx, who railed against capitalism’s tentacles, admitted it was the most efficient system even invented to produce more and more for less and less – pushed by greed!! So the item you’re selling is defective…do you tell the buyer? Heck no!! “Caveat emptor” is the rule – BUYER BEWARE!! But what about things BEFORE capitalism?? Were folks angels flitting around with halos hovering over their heads? Ha, ha, ha!! Using people as serfs and slaves to work their land wasn’t corruption – plus having the seignorial “right” to bed their wives and daughters??
One influential ole head back in the day threw up his hand in disgust and concluded we’re all created “out of this crooked timber”. It’s a good analogy – corruption’s from within, none of us are “straight” – we all got a price. The sooner we concede this, the sooner we’ll be able to deal with corruption. We gotta accept that any politician who denies there’s corruption at all levels of Government is either a fool or a vagabond!! Some time back, didn’t VP Jagdeo and then later Pressie, admit there’s corruption in the Government! They just don’t think it’s as prevalent as the Opposition claims!!
So what should Government leaders do?? Well, take a leaf from Singapore’s Lee Kwan Yew’s book (literally!!) and make Government workers less susceptible to bribes from the business class by educating and paying them so well they’re insulted when a bribe’s offered!! And coming to all the brouhaha being raised by the OFAC-sanctioned LOO, we should accept that politicians can also make investments!!
And not demand they wear sackcloth and ashes!!

…US World Cup ouster
While your Eyewitness is a cricket fanatic – he gotta admit that football is “the biggest name in sport”!! The viewership in FIFA’s World Cup – with 48 nations participating – reached 1.3 BILLION in a single game, Cape Verde vs Argentina!! For the longest while, the US had resisted the charms of football, of which they had their own variant!! But the lure of the big bucks proved too much, and back in 1975, they’d inveigled Pele, the then-iconic football player, to front a NY Club, Cosmos and launch them on the World stage.
They qualified starting in 1990 and hosted World Cup 1994 – where they advanced to the Group 16 stage and were knocked out by Brazil with Romario!! This year, however, while their team had noticeably improved, their Group 16 knockout match against Belgium was marked more by politics than football dexterity. Pres Trump had intervened to have a red-card disqualified player reinstated – earning the entire football world’s ire!!
Their 4-1 drubbing and elimination was unsurprisingly celebrated!!

…LOO’s barefacedness
Sanction Man has demanded Pressie’s resignation – based on his accusations about improprieties in the ownership of Pressie’s farm on the Linden Highway!
But what about HIS retention of the office of LOO – while being officially sanctioned by OFAC?!!

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