Dear Editor,
For the past two years, my family and I have been subjected to continuous, deliberate, and malicious political persecution. What we are experiencing is not law. It is not justice. And it is not governance under the Constitution of Guyana. It is unlawful, unconstitutional, and fundamentally illegal.
Our Constitution does not permit the victimisation of citizens for political reasons. It does not allow the state to weaponise its institutions to intimidate, strip, harass and destroy the lives of an individual or family because of their political position and public standing. What is being done to us violates every principle of due process, equality before the law and protection from arbitrary state power.
This campaign of persecution began after the Reuters article on Mohamed’s Enterprise, which referenced sanctions allegedly confirmed by a senior government source. From that moment, the full weight of state machinery was unleashed, not through lawful proceedings, but through coordinated punishment. While the investigation started with a well-known lawyer in collusion with local informants, who are well known to us, it subsequently emerged with serious political overtures from the highest level of government and political foe.
We have endured sanctions, the disruption of our consortium engagements for the shore base, immediate termination of foreign currency traders license, gold dealers license, gold mining land permits were not approved for renewal, quarry operational permits were not renewed, cancellation of all motor vehicle insurance, refusal to renew motor vehicle fitness certificates, private security service license and all security service firearm licenses, MARAD operational licenses. Essential services were interfered with – even the supply of cooking-gas. Members of the Disciplined Services were victimized if they spoke with us or shook our hands and were transferred to unfamiliar territory with immediate effect if they extended any courtesy or kindness to us. These actions were not regulatory. They were retaliatory. They were ridiculous and undignified.
The deliberate arrest of my son, Azruddin Mohamed and myself, minutes before Jummah, the Friday prayer, a sacred obligation in Islam, was a calculated act of humiliation to shame and intimidate us. This was not policing; it was political theatre and a display of force. Our persecution extends beyond our immediate family. Political candidates, supporters, friends, and associates have been targeted. Bank accounts have been closed without explanation. Insurance policies cancelled. We face repeated harassment at airports; unwarranted police stops and searches and constant surveillance from the Special Branch. Our vehicles are followed. Our movements monitored. Again, my Guyanese friends, this is not security, it is political intimidation.
Imagine the bullet proof vehicles which are over five years old and were used to transport and protect the same political players and their families, have now personally instructed all insurance companies in Guyana to terminate “with immediate effect” all insurance policies which cover the said vehicles.
Further, there were several vehicles which are incredibly old, five to thirteen years old. We sold at give-away prices, complied with all mandatory, compliance and regulatory processes for their successful transfer of ownership. Only to be served with a Guyana Revenue Authority letter that they have decided to cancel all the newly issued registration. The GRA went as far as to issue a letter to the owner to remove all bulletproof door glasses and windscreens from the vehicles. Note, this is an impossible task, since the vehicles were custom designed with these windscreens and door glasses.
The GRA employees who interacted and processed the request for transfers, some of whom we never saw before, assured us that there are “no block” or restrictions in GRA to deny or prevent the request for transfers. Soon after, the GRA in collusion with the Guyana Police Force then arrested and detained for days those innocent GRA employees who processed the applications for motor vehicle transfers. I caution you, for Allah hates those who use their authority to oppress people.
Even our property rights have been violated. Currently at Tuschen Public Road and Little Diamond, lands lawfully owned by us have been illegally occupied. Excavators were installed, squatting was encouraged and political influence was used to legitimise trespass. This is ordered to happen even though we have our legal papers and transports proving ownership. When we sought police protection and made formal reports, the officers involved were disciplined and transferred. This is obstruction of justice. This is state-enabled lawlessness.
Let me be clear: this is oppression. And this is unconstitutional. Today, we are treated as though we have no rights, not as business owners, not as political actors, not even as Guyanese citizens. Yet despite all of this, we remain peaceful. We remain lawful. And we remain resolute. We remain bound by duty to the people of Guyana who placed their trust in us. I now call on the people of Guyana to pay attention. This is bigger than one family. When the state can do this to us, it can do it to anyone.
I call on international observers, the Caribbean Court of Justice, CARICOM heads of government, regional institutions, global news organizations, and the wider international community to take notes. Democracy cannot exist where the rule of law is selectively applied, and state power has its overreach to a particular family. History will remember this moment. And it will remember those who chose to abuse power instead of upholding the Constitution.