The We Invest In Nationhood (WIN) party today claimed that the party and Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed was the subject of an assassination attempt on Monday night.

At a press conference today, WIN Members of Parliament Duarte Hetsberger and Vishnu Panday said Mohamed came under attack in the Kitty area while in car that was near the home of the Head of the Special Branch Unit, Prem Narine.

The Opposition Leader and two of his staffers are still in Police custody following the incident.

Mohamed claims that he was in the area to document what he considered to be the abuse of state resources with the presence of multiple Police Officers at the home of the Special Branch Head.

In a statement, the Guyana Police Force said the Special Branch Head opened fire on the car with the Opposition Leader, after he reportedly became concerned after hearing a sound that resembled a gunshot outside his home.

Mohamed and his staffers were intercepted moments later. There were multiple gunshot damages on his car.

The WIN party officials today said the car used by the Opposition Leader is well known to law enforcement as he is tracked daily. Additionally, they said there was never any shooting from the car.

“The Leader was beaten and manhandled, so too was his two staff, bullet holes were found on their vehicle. The intention was quite clear not to damage the vehicle but to kill the Opposition Leader of the country, that was quite clear, having done that, they placed a stranger unknown to the Leader of the Opposition and his team to drive that vehicle from Vlissengen Road to the Kitty Police station,” MP Vishnu Panday said.

Panday said Monday night’s event culminated a series of acts of harassment against the Opposition Leader by the state.

He said earlier on Monday, the Opposition Leader’s vehicle was being followed by the Special Branch Unit, and that was not the first time.

The Opposition MP said the State’s persistence to continuously follow and keep watch on the Opposition Leader’s movement is a cause for grave concern.

“It is indeed a clear case, where the Government of Guyana would never ever waste anytime whatsoever to get at the Leader of the Opposition which has been happening from the time he was officially declared as Opposition Leader of this country”, he said.

WIN Member of Parliament, Duarte Hetsberger, said the Government’s press statement which was issued last night clearly established a position before any investigation could be completed.

“Since when does a Government press statement replaces independent investigation, since when does a political authority determines what constitute the truth. The Government has a responsibility to protect its citizens, uphold public order and ensure that the law is enforced, but those responsibilities does not confer the authority to pronounce guilt, to pre-judge investigations or substitute declarations for the finding out an independent investigation,” Hetsberger stated.

The WIN party, which holds the majority on the Opposition side of the National Assembly, said the the latest incident follows recent cases of staff members and party officials being detained by the Police, searches being carried out at their homes and a number of other Police operations targeting the Opposition Leader.

The Opposition Leader is currently facing an extradition proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court along with his father.  The Head of the Special Branch Unit, Senior Superintendent Prem Narine is a key witness in that ongoing matter.

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