Azruddin Mohamed claims police searched his property while he assisted MV Barima recovery efforts

Guyana: Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed is alleging that the Guyana Police Force conducted a large-scale search of his Friendship, East Bank Demerara property while he was assisting in search and recovery efforts following the MV Barima tragedy. He described the operation as politically motivated and an attempt at intimidation.

In a statement issued Tuesday through Facebook, Mohamed said police executed a search warrant at his property on Monday afternoon as part of the ongoing investigation into the 2021 murder of Ricardo Fagundes.

According to the statement, Mohamed was in the Iron Punt area off the Atlantic coast near the mouth of the Pomeroon River as he was participating in search and recovery efforts for victims of the MV Barima tragedy when police arrived at his property at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Mohamed alleges he was not informed in advance of the operation and instead learned of it after receiving numerous telephone calls, messages and videos from residents, neighbours and passersby who witnessed police officers attempting to gain access to the property.

The Opposition Leader further alleges that by the time members of his family arrived at approximately 2:28 p.m. about 20 police officers, detectives and other ranks had already entered the premises. He claims the property's security guard had his cellular phone confiscated which prevented him from contacting Mohamed while the search was underway.

According to Mohamed, police officers accessed the property via the Demerara River using a Guyana Police Force river patrol vessel before entering through the property's wharf. He questioned the use of marine police resources while search and recovery operations for victims of the MV Barima tragedy remained ongoing.

Mohamed also alleges that every building on the property was searched twice, once before family members arrived and again after they were present to observe the operation. He further claims media personnel, photographers, videographers and drone operators were present and they recorded the property's layout and security features which he says compromised his family's security.

He said police did not remove any items from the property with the exception of the security guard's cellular phone which was later returned.

The search was conducted under a warrant issued as part of the police investigation into the 2021 murder of Ricardo Fagundes. Mohamed has denied any involvement in the case.

In the statement, Mohamed also alleged that several individuals recently detained by police along with their attorneys and claimed that investigators pressured them to falsely implicate him in the Fagundes murder. Those allegations have not been independently verified, and the Guyana Police Force has not publicly responded to them.

Mohamed further contends that the search forms part of what he describes as an escalating pattern of police actions against him and individuals associated with him following his public criticism of President Irfaan Ali and calls for answers regarding the President's alleged acquisition of a large agricultural estate.

At the time of publication, the Guyana Police Force had not publicly responded to Mohamed's allegations.