(Kaieteur News) – Defense attorney Siand Dhurjon has vehemently rejected allegations that an unlicensed firearm was found in Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed’s vehicle, describing the discovery of the weapon by police as an “apparition” that literally appeared out of thin air to justify a politically motivated arrest.
Dhurjon’s comments were given to the media on Tuesday following the late-night arrest of Mohamed, 39, along with Mario Mohamed, 25, and driver Eugene Thorne, 35. The three men were taken into custody around 23:45 hrs after their vehicle was intercepted by police at the corner of Sandy Babb Street and Vlissengen Road. Up to press time they were still in police custody.
Siand Dhurjon, Attorney at Law
According to Dhurjon, law enforcement searched the black Toyota Allion multiple times without finding any illegal items, only for an unlicensed .32 Taurus pistol without a serial number and three live rounds to magically materialise later under the accelerator pedal. “The gun found in the vehicle is like an apparition to me,” Dhurjon stated. “This vehicle was searched on at least two occasions. It was searched when the police intercepted it… When Mr. Prem Narine and his ranks stopped the car, they pushed the occupants to the ground, they stomped them, they subdued them, they searched the car thoroughly—nothing was found.”
Dhurjon explained that the vehicle was subsequently driven under police escort to the Kitty Police Station, where a sniffer dog and flashlights were used to conduct another search. “Then we spent five minutes walking around the car, inspecting the inside, inspecting the outside, nothing was found,” the attorney continued. “When I turned my back for ten seconds, a gun appears… sitting right there where you might rest the heel of your foot when you accelerate… right under the acceleration pedal for all to see. So why were we walking around for five minutes looking inside the car, outside the car with these bright lights and we saw nothing? The gun appeared out of thin air.”
Dhurjon described the entire ordeal as a “crass display of law enforcement seeking to suppress political opposition” and an outright abuse of power. “What we saw last night (Monday)… was a complete disregard for the sanctity of life, rule of law—it was a betrayal by law enforcement of those who are supposed to protect us, it was a betrayal of the rights of the citizenry,” Dhurjon declared.
He further questioned the police’s narrative that Mohamed opened fire on the personal residence of Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, Head of the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Special Branch Unit. “How absurd is it that the opposition leader would drive past the house of the head of a police agency where there are two police vehicles outside parked around the clock filled with police ranks?” Dhurjon asked. “How absurd is it that he knows that if he sneezes funny, the police will stop him, search him, arrest him. How absurd is it that he would take that opportunity to fire shots outside of the house?”
The arrest stemmed from an alleged standoff near Barr Street, Kitty. Official GPF statements said Narine observed the Toyota Allion (PXX 5300) slowly travelling past his residence twice. On the second pass, Narine reported hearing a gunshot, prompt him to take cover and return fire as the vehicle sped off. Investigators stated they later recovered one .32 spent shell and four 9mm spent shells near Narine’s residence. Police are treating the probe as an alleged case of discharging a loaded firearm with intent, alongside possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
However, Mohamed strongly refuted the police’s account. The Opposition Leader stated he drove past Narine’s home specifically to record video footage documenting heavy police security presence and state resource misuse at a private residence. Mohamed accused Narine of initiating the unprovoked shooting by firing multiple rounds at his vehicle, and alleged he was assaulted by officers during the subsequent arrest.
Asked whether the arrest could impact Mohamed’s bail status regarding separate extradition proceedings, Dhurjon maintained that any decision remains strictly within the jurisdiction of the magistrate, noting the current allegations involve bailable offenses. “He is eminently entitled to bail,” Dhurjon noted, expressing confidence that an objective review of the evidence would result in charges being thrown out. “If they were to seek the advice of any responsible attorney of government such as the DPP or the PLA, they would be duty-bound in a properly functioning society to advise that no charges be laid for lack of evidence.”
Police investigators confirmed that they recovered spent shells and the seized firearm have been submitted for ballistic examination, while detectives continue to review CCTV footage.
Source: Kaieteur News
