Some WIN candidates face bank account closures

At least two candidates of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party led by US-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed have been told that their bank accounts will be closed.

“A number of candidates have received letters from the bank stating that they would be discontinuing business with them,” party representative Odessa Primus said at a press conference on Tuesday evening.

Natasha Singh- Lewis, formerly of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), and Duarte Hetsberger, the Personal Assistant to disgraced former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, were also present at the press conference. The duo confirmed that banking services they enjoyed from Demerara Bank would be discontinued.

Singh- Lewis, who said she is already in conversation with her lawyer about the way forward, was informed that her account must be closed by July 25, 2025. If not, her account will be automatically closed and any remaining funds will be converted to a banker’s draft for her to uplift.

She expressed much dismay about the decision, noting that she has been with the bank for about 15 years. However, she revealed that the bank said the decision to discontinue services to her was made due to “internal policies and banking requirements.”

Hetsberger said the same timeline and explanation were given to him.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury, on June 11, 2024 announced the imposition of sanctions against the Mohamed’s family, specifically targeting Nazar Mohamed, his son Azruddin Mohamed, and their businesses, namely Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World and Team Mohamed’s Racing. These sanctions were connected to gold smuggling and corruption. Former Permanent Secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry, Mae Thomas, was also sanctioned.

Because of these sanctions from the US body, business licences the Mohameds had were rescinded and their bank accounts were closed.

“The Mohameds have a financial sanction, so I can understand why the banks may not want to continue business with the Mohameds. But these individuals [the WIN candidates] do not have any financial ties or relations with the Mohameds.

“If that is the line of thinking, I can’t see how the bank would’ve come to such a conclusion… because the Mohameds don’t have a bank account so how could they possibly prove that there is money being transferred from the Mohameds to any of the individuals that they discontinued their business with them at all,” Primus contended.

However, appearing in the WIN’s candidate list would mean that the candidates are now formally associated with an organisation which is led by Mohamed, posing compliance risk for banking and other institutions.