The Guyana Police Force’s decision to reopen the investigation into the 2021 killing of popular biker Ricardo “Paper Shorts” Fagundes has sparked political debate. Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, who has been sanctioned by the United States and is facing criminal charges there, has strongly criticised the investigation, alleging that it is politically motivated.
However, security analysts and a retired senior homicide investigator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, questioned Mohamed’s forceful response, suggesting that his public posture has raised additional questions.
“In thirty years of investigating homicides, I’ve never seen an innocent man react this way,” the retired investigator said. “A public figure whose name has been repeatedly linked to a high-profile gangland killing should be the first demanding a thorough, transparent probe. Instead, we see an immediate, aggressive defensive crouch. You have to ask: what is motivating that?”
The political controversy intensified after Major Crimes Unit detectives detained three men for questioning, including Mark Richmond and Udoh Kanu, both former security guards employed by Mohamed’s Enterprise Security Service.
Following the arrests, Mohamed publicly denied any involvement in the 2021 killing and alleged that the investigation was politically motivated.
Independent analysts, however, contend that the chronology of events and publicly available information present a more nuanced picture.
Analysts noted that several of Mohamed’s assertions regarding President Ali’s private farm have been disputed by publicly available records and individuals familiar with the property’s history. Public information indicates that the farm was acquired and developed years before Ali assumed office, and that its development was financed through conventional banking arrangements.
Several prominent Guyanese also publicly stated that they had personal knowledge of the property’s existence and development dating back more than a decade.
“The story of a retaliatory land probe simply doesn’t hold water,” one political analyst said. “When there is a lengthy paper trail documenting the property’s development, attempting to connect it to a murder investigation appears more like a political defence than a factual explanation.”
Meanwhile, Richmond’s attorney, Damien Da Silva, filed a writ of habeas corpus challenging his client’s detention beyond the constitutional 72-hour limit. However, Justice Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus upheld a High Court order extending Richmond’s detention to facilitate ongoing investigations.
“They cry persecution and complain about cell conditions,” the retired investigator observed. “But that is routine when the legal walls start closing in. If Richmond and Kanu have nothing to hide, why is their supporter fighting so hard to stop the process? Usually, if your name is cleared, you let the justice system do its job. You don’t try to undermine the entire system.”
The investigator noted that the 2021 killing bore the hallmarks of a carefully planned execution. Fagundes, an associate of Roger Khan, was shot more than 20 times by two gunmen who emerged from a heavily tinted Toyota Fielder before abandoning and burning the vehicle along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.
“An execution of that scale requires planning, money and logistical support,” the retired detective said. “And now police have detained auto dealer Amarnauth Ramsook for questioning about the vehicle used in the attack. The physical chain of custody is tightening.”
Political risk analysts argue that portraying the murder investigation as politically driven could serve to undermine public confidence in any evidence investigators eventually present.
“The tactic is clear,” one analyst said. “If supporters are convinced that the investigation is politically compromised, then any evidence—regardless of its strength—can be dismissed as fabricated. It transforms a criminal investigation into a political battle.”
The stakes remain high for Mohamed. Despite winning a parliamentary seat in the September 2025 elections as leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, he and his father, Nazar Mohamed, are facing federal charges in the United States related to an alleged multi-year gold smuggling and money laundering scheme.
“He’s already fighting US sanctions and federal charges in Miami,” the retired investigator concluded. “The last thing he needs is for former members of his security team to become legally linked to a gangland murder investigation. If investigators obtain significant evidence from those interviews, the political consequences could be severe.”