Brushing aside allegations of corruption, drug smuggling and money laundering that have been leveled against the well-known Mohameds Family, President Irfaan Ali today said his Government has not received any formal notification from authorities in the US that the business magnate and his family are under investigation.

“There are many allegations. I have never received officially, in writing or verbally any request from anyone or any suggestion from any one, and I said this to Reuters, and they asked a very specific question, whether the United States of America, State Department, ever requested anything about the individual Mr Mohamed or whether I was ever informed of anything illegal, neither of the two has occurred, it was never raised with me, so I can’t comment on something that was never raised with me, I cannot comment on something that was never brought to my attention,” President Ali told reporters today. 

A special investigation report by the international Reuters news agenc quoted sources that indicated that sanctions could be instituted against the members of the Mohameds family and their companies for allegedly engaging in gold and drug smuggling.

According to the report, the US government had repeatedly warned the ExxonMobil company against doing business with the Mohameds but the oil company apparently ignored those warnings. The report also noted the close ties between the President and the Mohameds.

The President, though not addressing the allegations against the Mohameds and the possible impact it could have on developments here should sanctions be instituted, said his relationship with the Mohameds is no secret.

“I think that my relationship with every Guyanese is public knowledge; I know the Mohameds’, I know the Moahemds growing up. The Reuters reporter, would have sent this article and would have asked me this very question that you are asking me, and I said to them that the relationship is like any other Guyanese, there is nothing special or different,” President Ali said.

At the recent Local Government Elections, the head of the Mohameds company, Nazar Mohamed, competed and won his seat in the elections for the Eccles NDC as a candidate of the PPP.

Notwithstanding the allegations against the family, the President said Mr Mohamed was elected by the people, and the will of the people must be respected.

“People go up for public office, and people elect them. The people elected Mr Mohamed on a slate that he was on, and so, we have to respect the will of the people,” President said.

While the Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, admitted late last month, that the ruling party – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), may have received monetary donations from the Mohameds in the past, President Ali today said his Government has not received financial support from the embattled family.

“The Government don’t receive support from any private citizen. The government create opportunities for all the citizens of this country but when you say citizens, private citizens giving the government support, I don’t understand…Donations to Government in terms of certain projects, programmes to the Guyana Police Force through their corporate social responsibility, beyond that I don’t know of any special or differential support that the Mohameds would have given the Government,” the President explained.

The Mohameds company has however won a number of government construction contracts since the current government took office.

The Mohameds have rejected the allegations leveled against them in the Reuters report.

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