General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, has made it clear that persons who donate to the organisation should not expect to get a free pass if they commit any wrongdoing; nor should they expect to get any special privileges from the Government.
He made this known at a press conference on Thursday, whilst responding to a question regarding whether the PPP had ever received donations from the Mohameds: businessmen Nazar Mohamed and Azruddin Mohamed, whom a Reuters article recently implicated, without evidence, in illegal activities.
“Even if they had given money in the past, it’s not of a magnitude that is different from many others…and it doesn’t buy them special privileges from the PPP Government or the party,” Jagdeo, the country’s Vice President, emphasised.
Asked whether, in light of the report, the PPP would accept donations from the Mohameds in the future, Jagdeo explained that right now the party is not soliciting funds. However, he made it clear that, at this stage, the Reuters report is just a “story”, and that the Government has not been notified officially of any investigation of the Guyanese businessmen.
The Vice President went on to make it clear that anyone who donates to the party should not expect special privileges.
“Let me make it clear, so if anyone donates to the PPP with the hope that they can do…I’m speaking about anyone with the hope that they can do something illegal and then bypass the system or get a free pass, they’re sadly mistaken…So, I don’t see any donation that comes into the PPP as linked to anything that is done at the Government level,” Jagdeo said.
The Reuters report, “U.S. probing Exxon contractor in Guyana for smuggling drugs, gold”, had noted that ExxonMobil ignored the US Government’s advice to not do business with the Mohameds. This advice, according to the report, was delivered during meetings in late 2021 and early 2022.
“Now, U.S. officials are considering imposing sanctions on the Mohameds, according to four of the sources and two additional people familiar with the matter. That could require Exxon to sever its business relationship with any sanctioned individuals or companies,” the report stated.
The report further alleges that the businessmen “are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security, and other U.S. agencies, on suspicions of smuggling Colombian cocaine and illegally mined Venezuelan gold to the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, according to the five sources with knowledge of the probe.
The Mohameds are also suspected of laundering money for drug traffickers and criminals, including sanctioned Russian nationals operating in the region, according to one of the intelligence reports.
The Mohameds have since issued a statement challenging the global news agency to produce its evidence to substantiate those claims.
Campaign financing
Meanwhile, it was only in May this year that Jagdeo had renewed Government’s commitment to implementing campaign financing laws, but had expressed fears of victimisation through publicizing the names of donors.
The Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the March 2020 General and Regional Elections had found that “there is a lack of transparency and accountability regarding political parties and campaign financing. Political parties have historically raised funds without any limitations regarding the source or amount of donation, and with very little obligation to disclose election expenses. There is a strong need for such legislation, as there is a perception that persons and/or corporations who give large donations stand to gain political favours.”
