United States-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed was on Thursday granted $500,000 bail after appearing at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to face two fraud charges laid by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Mohamed, 39, of Houston Estates, appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty and pleaded not guilty to both charges related to the alleged under-invoicing of a luxury vehicle.
The first charge alleges that on December 7, 2020, Mohamed knowingly submitted a false declaration to the GRA, undervaluing a Lamborghini Aventador to evade import duties.
The second charge accuses him of being involved in the fraudulent evasion of taxes related to that undervaluation. Prosecutors allege that although Mohamed paid US$695,000 for the vehicle, he declared it to be worth only US$76,000.
The businessman, who is a father of five and recently announced his intention to run for the presidency, was represented by attorneys Damian Da Silva, Darren Wade, and Siand Dhurjon. His legal team argued that he poses no flight risk, citing his clean record and active public profile.
Special Prosecutor Sanjeev Datadin, appearing on behalf of the GRA, did not object to bail but requested that the amount reflect the magnitude of the alleged tax evasion.
While the Magistrate acknowledged the seriousness of the offences, which carry penalties of up to three times the value of the tax evaded or imprisonment, she declined to impose the full 10 per cent of the GRA’s stated claim. Bail was set at $250,000 for each charge, totalling $500,000.
Outside of court, Mohamed maintained that the charges are politically motivated, stating, “Sheer political persecution, that is what is going on. We are facing a lot of battles, but so far, we are winning them.”
He also claimed he received assistance from senior government officials in clearing the Lamborghini, but his attorneys downplayed this assertion, labelling the matter “dead” due to a purported breach of the statutory limitation for filing charges.
Attorney Darren Wade argued that under the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, the GRA had a six-month window to lay charges.
“These matters, as far as I am concerned, are dead,” Wade stated. The businessman will reappear in court on June 26, 2025.
