Guyana’s opposition lawmakers chose businessman Azruddin Mohamed as their new leader on Monday, even as he faces extradition to the United States on fraud and corruption charges.
U.S. prosecutors claim Mohamed and his father, Nazar, used their gold export business, Mohamed’s Enterprise, to commit fraud and launder money, benefiting themselves and cheating Guyana’s government.
Both men, indicted in Florida, deny any wrongdoing. They were briefly arrested in October and are challenging extradition in court.
“The process was very smooth. No hiccups. No delay. In less than five minutes, I was elected leader of the opposition, ready to serve the people of this country,” Mohamed told reporters.
Mohamed’s party, We Invest in Nationhood, is less than a year old but became the main opposition in parliament after winning 16 out of 65 seats in September’s election.
The government, which Mohamed says is targeting him because of his political involvement, has warned that appointing him as opposition leader could damage the legislature’s image. His new position does not shield him from extradition.
