‘Jagdeo should be questioned about PPP taking Mohameds’ money—Norton

Mar 10, 2025 News

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…says PNCR received no financial support from businessmen since 2021

Kaieteur News- Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton said that his party has not received any financial support from the Mohameds since he took over the party. And he urged the media to grill Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo about the PPP/C’s affiliation with the businessmen and how much money they received in the past.

Norton made the comments at a press conference on Friday. Norton has been leader of the PNCR since 2021. He said too that he is not aware of any opposition person being paid by the Mohameds, adding “I can’t vouch for every opposition person, but what I can say to you is that, since I became leader of the PNC, no financial support came from the Mohameds. I have no reason to lie. If it happened, I would say it happened, but it didn’t.”

These comments by Norton followed statements made recently by Nazar Mohamed, who reflected on his long history with the People’s Progressive Party and the current challenges he faces following the U.S sanctions. The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on June 11, 2024, against the Mohameds and their associated businesses. The sanctions were issued due to allegations of large-scale tax evasion, gold smuggling, money laundering, and other forms of public corruption. “All my life, I have been associated with the PPP…I supported other political parties financially, but I’ve always been very close to the People’s Progressive Party,” Mohamed said.

For his part, Norton criticised the lack of media attention given to the financial ties between the PPP and the Mohameds, despite what he described as overwhelming evidence. “But you know, what amazes me is that there is a whole slew of evidence showing that the PPP had engaged the Mohameds and that the Mohameds financed the PPP,” he said, adding. “I saw a press conference (Thursday), nobody chose to ask Jagdeo if it is true that you are financed by the Mohameds.”

Norton expressed frustration with the press for not questioning Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo about the allegations. “They allow him to talk about filling a whole bucket of what he puts out of his mouth, rather than asking him the critical question as it relates to the Mohameds,” he said.

Businessman and member of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Investment Committee, Terrence Campbell has also called on the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to return all contributions made to the political group over the past 10 years by the Mohameds. His comments came on the heels of Jagdeo’s personal attack on Azruddin Mohamed, son of Nazar Mohamed, but also sought to defend the PPP against corruption allegations made by Azruddin.

In sharing a clip of Jagdeo’s press conference on his Facebook page, Campbell said, “If it is an organization with a good ethical compass, the PPP should refund all contributions received in the last ten years from “wannabe gangsters” and sanctioned persons or businesses.” Furthermore, it is Campbell’s view that the weekly press conferences hosted by the Vice President, at Freedom House, are far from civil. According to him, “This is where the abusive culture in Guyana gets its steroids. For those of you who find this weekly abuse show funny, don’t complain when the school kids are fighting with friends cheering. Don’t complain about road rage. Don’t complain about domestic violence. This guy is the chief promoter of the culture of abuse and incivility that engulfs Guyana.”

Meanwhile, addressing concerns about the release of information by the U.S government to the Guyanese government. Norton referenced the delayed disclosure of details and suggested the government was trying to prevent further scrutiny. “I listen to the US ambassador, she doesn’t have to say everything, but you can read between the lines, the fact that they took so long to give information. I believe that the government is also part of the problem, and that all the information cannot be released as yet because it will put the government on guard that they are also under investigation,” Norton stated. He also questioned how the alleged interactions with the Mohameds could have occurred without the government’s knowledge. “How is it that all that they’re claiming happened with the Mohameds could have happened without their knowledge?” Norton asked.

(‘Jagdeo should be questioned about PPP taking Mohameds’ money—Norton)

(Jagdeo should be questioned)

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• Aubrey, Mohamed, Nazar, PPP

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