“Let him release the evidence” – Jagdeo denies Mohamed’s claims that Pres. assisted in tax evasion
Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday flatly denied claims that President Irfaan Ali had any involvement in the alleged tax evasion scandal surrounding United States-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed and even challenged him (Mohamed) to produce proof of his accusations.
“Let him release the evidence that President Ali told him to submit a false invoice to the GRA – a fake invoice to the GRA,” Jagdeo said at a press conference at Freedom House in Georgetown. “Let him release it, because no such thing happened. I spoke with President Ali. He said not at all.”
Mohamed, 39, of Houston Estates, was hauled before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday and slapped with tax evasion and false declaration charges.
The charges stem from the importation of his Lamborghini Aventador. He was released on $500,000 bail.
Following the proceedings, the presidential hopeful stated that it was President Ali who had assisted and facilitated the importation of the luxury vehicle in 2020.
While Mohamed has pleaded not guilty and maintains that the charges are politically motivated because of his recently announced presidential bid, the Vice President has rejected that narrative outright, accusing him of playing the victim to garner sympathy and shield himself from legal consequences.
“He brought this on himself,” Jagdeo said, referring to Mohamed’s social media post in which he published tax receipts and claimed to have paid $94 million for three vehicles, including the Lamborghini.
“We didn’t know about it. It’s only when he posted it that the GRA began its investigation.”
According to Jagdeo, the GRA acted independently, later discovering through local bank records and a request to the U.S. Department of Justice that Mohamed had paid the full US$695,000 to a foreign supplier.
The Vice President stated that the revelation confirmed the invoice submitted to the GRA was fraudulent.
“This is a criminal act,” Jagdeo stated. “Unless we are to change the laws of Guyana to suit the Mohameds, submitting a fake invoice is still a crime.”
