GEORGETOWN, Guyana — A sanctioned and indicted businessman at the centre of a sweeping U.S. gold-smuggling, tax-evasion and money-laundering case was sworn in Monday as a Member of Parliament in Guyana — the first time in the country’s history that an individual facing extradition to the United States has taken a seat in the National Assembly. The unprecedented move has drawn condemnation from governance advocates and political observers, who say it marks a low point for the integrity of the legislature.
Azruddin Mohamed, a key figure in the opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, took his oath at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, days after he and his father were arrested on a U.S. extradition warrant and granted bail. Both surrendered their passports and must report to police weekly. Mohamed arrived in a luxury Lamborghini — a vehicle now central to local tax-evasion charges — and entered the chamber to applause from supporters, signalling his intent to project defiance even as legal risks escalate.
U.S. authorities accuse Mohamed and his family business, Mohamed’s Enterprise, of evading more than US$50 million in taxes and duties by under-declaring thousands of kilograms of gold exports between 2019 and 2023. According to U.S. Treasury sanctions filings, the network allegedly bribed customs and government officials to falsify export records, shipped undeclared gold to international markets, and laundered the proceeds through shell companies and high-value assets. A federal grand jury indictment in Florida outlines 11 counts, including conspiracy, wire and mail fraud, tax evasion and money-laundering, and alleges that at least one shipment of gold bars worth US$5.3 million was seized in the United States.
Mohamed also faces local charges for allegedly declaring a purchase price of US$75,300 for a Lamborghini Roadster SVJ actually valued at nearly US$700,000, avoiding more than G$383 million in taxes. Prosecutors say the undervaluation was part of a broader pattern of fraud linked to illicit gold revenues.
Despite the mounting allegations, WIN has defended Mohamed’s right to serve, even signalling he could become Leader of the Opposition. Legal experts, however, note that parliamentary office provides no protection from criminal prosecution or extradition. Civil-society organisations and transparency advocates have warned that allowing an indicted and sanctioned figure to sit in Parliament risks damaging Guyana’s international reputation, undermining the rule of law and eroding public trust in democratic institutions.
Mohamed has denied wrongdoing and claims he is being targeted for political reasons. But with active extradition proceedings, complex cross-border financial-crime allegations and scrutiny from U.S. law-enforcement agencies, his parliamentary debut sets the stage for a historic and contentious test of Guyana’s institutions — and its ability to balance due process with the rule-of-law expectations of its most powerful ally.