Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues has firmly rejected allegations made by U.S.-indicted gold smuggler, money launderer and invoice manipulator Azruddin Mohamed, describing them as “libellous and simply false” and intended to divert attention from his ongoing extradition proceedings. In a detailed statement, Minister Rodrigues said the claims are a calculated attempt to mislead the public and distract from the extradition of Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed to the USA and the serious charges the Mohameds face there. The Mohameds committed serious crimes in the USA, and the grand jury in Miami, Florida, has requested their extradition to face trial in the USA.
The minister reaffirmed that all her local and overseas assets are lawfully acquired and fully declared. She said Mohamed had taken publicly available information and deliberately distorted it to suit what she described as his “perverse narrative,” adding that such actions were reckless and dishonest.
Minister Rodrigues explained that, as a government minister, she is classified as a Politically Exposed Person, a status that requires stringent scrutiny by banks and financial institutions worldwide. She noted that every transaction she conducts is subject to thorough verification, including proof of funds, and stressed that any suggestion that her assets are linked to illicit activity is entirely untrue.
Drawing a sharp contrast, the minister questioned the credibility of the accusations from Mohamed, who has been cited in international reports for alleged involvement in drug trafficking, money laundering, gold smuggling, and links to extremist groups, and who has also been indicted in the United States. She described it as deeply ironic that someone facing such allegations would seek to accuse her of wrongdoing.
Addressing the specific claims, Minister Rodrigues clarified that two of her properties in Florida are easily verifiable through public records. A third property referenced by Mohamed is owned by a company in which she holds shares. She also refuted the claim that one of the properties was purchased outright, explaining that it was acquired through a mortgage from AD Mortgage, a U.S. financial institution. To support this, she has released her 2024 tax and interest statements, which include the mortgage details. She said the property is rented and the loan is serviced using rental income.
Minister Rodrigues stated that all this information is publicly accessible and could have been verified, but Mohamed instead chose to misrepresent the facts. She further criticised his repeated attempts to equate her asset base solely with her public service salary, calling the comparison unreasonable and misleading. In addition to her salary, she said, she earns rental income and receives proceeds from long-established family businesses.
In the interest of transparency, the minister has also released Certificates of Title for properties at Peter’s Hall, confirming that mortgages were taken at the time of purchase. She denied owning the Herstelling property where she currently resides, noting that it was acquired in 2016, before she entered government. She also rejected claims that she owns a gas station at Camp and New Market Streets in Georgetown, stating that the property has been owned by Shell Antilles and Guianas Limited since 1962 and that her partner operates the business without owning its assets.
Concluding her statement, Minister Rodrigues said the allegations form a clear pattern of misinformation intended to confuse the public and distract from Mohamed’s own legal troubles. She emphasised that, unlike Mohamed, she can produce documentary evidence to support her claims, whereas he must still address serious international allegations about the origins of his wealth.
Finally, many Guyanese know that both Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed are using social media platforms, money, and opposition newspapers to spread dirt about ministers and those who oppose them. Both father and son have been having sleepless nights since Maduro’s capture in Venezuela and his transfer to the USA to face criminal charges. The USA always gets its criminals. Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed will be extradited to the USA to face charges related to their criminal activities there. Their dirty money and lies won’t work in the USA. After the extradition, the WIN party will collapse because there will be no money to pay its social media followers and voters. Azruddin Mohamed’s only political goal was to buy the PNC-AFC Afro-Guyanese votes, and he succeeded, thereby destroying the PNC and AFC parties’ vote bank. AFC is dead as a dodo. And PNC is no longer a force but a poodle under Aubrey Norton. Forbes Linden Burnham must be rolling in his grave.