Guyana: Viral Video shows Opposition Leader Mohamed’s boat fleeing Maritime Patrol

Guyana: A dramatic new video is taking over the internet, adding a fresh fuel into the already heated controversy involving Guyana Opposition leader Azirudin Mohamed and the seizure of his speedboat.

The video circulated is appearing to depict the vessel fleeing away from a maritime security patrol, the incident which authorities say eventually provoked the high-speed chase on the Demerara River.

As stated by the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard, a joint marine patrol detected the vessel near the mouth of the Demerara river moving rapidly ahead at around 9:50 p.m.

Despite the officers activating the patrol vessel’s siren and instructing to halt the boat, the opposition leader’s boat fled away from the scene, resulting in a high speed chase by the authorities which ended at a wharf in Friendship, East Bank Demerara.

The recently surfaced video getting viral seems to add visual evidence to the controversy. Although it would be premature to identify who was handling the vessel and why it was speeding away to evade the scene.

Mohamed and other representatives of the WIN party have strongly denied the chase version, arguing that the vessel was docked prior to that incident at the Friendship wharf while security personnel reached the location.

They also stated that the vessel was already inspected and nothing illegal was found aboard, questioning the legal basis for the detention and Mohamed’s arrest.

Meanwhile, a troubling revelation for Mohamed came to light, Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department stated through its official records indicating that neither Mohamed nor the high-speed vessel was licensed or authorised to command the boat.

According to Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department, unlicensed operation can spark law-enforcement action and defined such conduct as a significant maritime safety concern.

Mohamed was thereafter released on G$100,000 bail, whereas MP Natasha Singh-Lewish was released on G$200,000 bail.

The whole controversy is now widely centred around the circulated video of the vessel, which appears to be of Azruddin Mohamed being chased by the maritime security authorities. However the video solely does not establish the full circumstances about the incident. Further update in the case is subject to the ongoing investigation