By Kemol King
GEORGETOWN, Oct 14 (Reuters) – Guyanese opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed and two other men have been arrested following an exchange of gunfire outside the home of a senior police officer who is testifying in a U.S. extradition case against Mohamed, the South American country’s government and police said.
US prosecutors allege Mohamed and his father Nazar Mohamed conspired to commit fraud and launder money through their gold exporting firm, Mohamed’s Enterprise, to enrich themselves and defraud the government of Guyana. The two men, who were indicted in Florida, have denied wrongdoing and are contesting their extradition proceedings in court.
The younger Mohamed has accused the government of persecuting him because of his entry into politics. His office on Wednesday denied possession of the firearm involved in the incident, accused police of planting it and alleged the three men were assaulted and threatened.
Mohamed and the other men were arrested overnight on Tuesday after Senior Superintendent of Police, Prem Narine, who is testifying in the extradition proceedings, observed a vehicle passing his residence. The vehicle later returned, according to a Tuesday statement from the Guyana Police Force, and Narine heard what he believed to be a gunshot as the vehicle approached.
Narine took cover, the statement said, and fired several rounds towards the car, which drove away. Officers later intercepted the vehicle, arresting Mohamed and the other men traveling in it. A search uncovered a firearm and ammunition, the police said.
The government said in a separate statement on Tuesday that Mohamed and his companions had been filming Narine’s residence. It alleged that shots came from their vehicle and said the gun the police found was unlicensed.
Mohamed’s office described the shooting as an assassination attempt against Narine. Members of his We Invest in Nationhood party held a press conference on Wednesday to protest what they said was Mohamed’s treatment by police. The party said he remains in custody.
Mohamed, who has had multiple run-ins with the police since his extradition case began, was elected opposition leader in January. We Invest in Nationhood became the top opposition force in parliament in the 2025 general election, winning 16 of 65 seats.
(Reporting by Kemol King in Georgetown, Editing by Julia Symmes Cobb)
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