Guyana’s Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said the government will not take action against a local Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) contractor after Reuters reported its owners are under a U.S. criminal investigation.
On Friday, Reuters disclosed U.S. government officials repeatedly warned Exxon against doing business with two Guyanese mining magnates who are involved in a logistics operation for the company’s offshore oil operations.
The pair – Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin – are under suspicion of money laundering, drug trafficking and gold smuggling, according to five people with knowledge of the matter and two intelligence reports seen by Reuters.
The Texas-based oil giant ignored the advice, which Reuters said was delivered during meetings in late 2021 and early 2022, and cut a deal to build a $300 million onshore logistics base with a consortium that included the two businessmen. Exxon announced the contract award in April 2022.