
A wealthy businessman challenging Guyana's president in an upcoming election faces new allegations
Azruddin Mohamed appeared in court on Thursday after being charged with false tax declaration and under-invoicing a luxury vehicle. He pleaded not guilty.
His appearance comes just days after he announced plans to challenge the ruling People's Progressive Party by creating a new party with dozens of candidates as the oil-rich country prepares for a general election on Sept. 1.
Mohamed, a member of one of Guyana's wealthiest families, used to be a well-known donor to the ruling party. But in recent months, he clashed with tax officials over an invoice he submitted a couple years ago indicating that he paid $75,000 for a Lamborghini, when the government stated it was valued at $575,000.
He was freed Thursday on a $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court next month for trial. If found guilty, he could face up to three years in prison.
Mohamed, who has been traveling across Guyana to donate cash, vehicles and new homes ahead of the Sept. 1 election, claims he is being targeted for challenging the ruling party.
He has alleged that President Irfaan Ali, once a close ally, allowed his vehicle to be cleared from customs with the valuation he submitted.
Ali has not publicly responded to those accusations. Meanwhile, Attorney General Anil Nandlall has denied that Mohamed is being targeted and has said that the U.S. supplied the receipt and other information regarding the vehicle.
Last year, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Mohamed, his father, their gold-exporting company and a government official 'for their roles in public corruption" in a bribery scheme that authorities said ran from 2019 to 2023.
U.S. officials accused the Mohameds of evading $50 million worth of duty taxes on gold exports and under declaring exports involving more than 22,000 pounds (10,000 kilograms) worth of gold. Their company also was accused of bribing customs officials to falsify and export documents.
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New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Hamas issues order to kill hostages if Israeli military attempts rescue, as latest cease-fire talks fail: sources
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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Israel Kills Over a Dozen Seeking Food Aid in Gaza as Famine Fears Grow
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In addition to limited supplies, the distribution of aid has turned deadly, with human rights groups criticizing the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund's (GHF) approach, which has forced Palestinians into fenced mazes and exposed aid seekers to Israeli fire. The United Nations estimates that Israel has killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food since May. Reports and images of starving Gazans comes as the Trump administration cut short ceasefire negotiations on Thursday, stating Hamas "shows a lack of desire" to reach a truce with Israel. Israel has repeatedly said that aid deliveries must be delivered in a "safe framework" that does not give supplies to Hamas, and notes that GHF is bringing food into Gaza. Israel has used aid restrictions as a pressure tactic to bring Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, to negotiate the release of hostages that were taken in its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. 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Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International, told Vox in a Friday article: "When you have a population that is that stressed, whose health has deteriorated that much, or is [already] in such an advanced state of population-level food deprivation and malnutrition, then things can turn bad very rapidly, because there is nothing to stand in the way of starvation... In most famines, we see mortality coming from a mix of both outright starvation and opportunistic infections." He added: "Famines have a momentum, and the longer that they are allowed to deepen, the harder they are to reverse." Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres wrote in an X post on Friday: "Gaza is more than a humanitarian crisis – it is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience. We will continue to speak out. But words don't feed hungry children. The @UN stands ready to make the most of a ceasefire to dramatically scale up humanitarian operations." Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, wrote in a Friday X post: "The Netanyahu government's extermination of Gaza intensifies. Malnutrition is rampant, children are starving to death, people are shot while waiting for meager food rations — and US weapons allow it to happen. Trump and Congress must act NOW. Stop the slaughter. Feed the people." The AP, AFP, BBC, and Reuters all said in a joint statement this week: "We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families. For many months, these independent journalists have been the world's eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering. Journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in warzones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them." What Happens Next? France and Saudi Arabia are set to co-chair a previously postponed United Nations conference on the issue of a Palestinian state, humanitarian aid, and hostage release next week. International pressure for a ceasefire and expanded humanitarian aid in Gaza continues to mount. On Saturday, Israel's military announced aid airdrops including flour and canned foods will commence in Gaza. Humanitarian corridors for U.N. convoys will also be established, although it was not specified when and where.


San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Landlord jailed for decades in hate-crime attack on Palestinian American family has died
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