The Office of the Opposition Leader has urged diplomatic missions and international partners to monitor the shooting incident involving Azruddin Mohamed and two members of his staff, and called for an impartial examination of their arrests and the disputed discovery of a firearm in their vehicle.
In a diplomatic brief dated October 13, the office said Mohamed, Eugene Thorne and Mario Mohamed categorically denied firing at Special Branch Head, Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, during Monday night’s incident.
It raised concerns about their safety, alleged police mistreatment and the handling of the vehicle before a weapon was reportedly discovered at the Kitty Police Station.
The brief, addressed to diplomatic missions and international partners, said the men had spent approximately 17 hours in custody at the time it was prepared. It stated that their vehicle was struck by five bullets reportedly from the direction of Narine’s house, but that none of the occupants sustained injuries.
“The fact that no one was physically injured does not diminish the gravity of an incident in which a vehicle carrying the country’s principal opposition leader and members of his staff was struck by multiple bullets,” the office said.
According to the brief, the vehicle was initially searched along Vlissengen Road and no weapon was found. The office alleged that the occupants were physically assaulted during that search and that Narine pointed a firearm at Mohamed.
It further stated that an individual reportedly associated with Narine drove the vehicle to the Kitty Police Station, despite Mohamed objecting to anyone else driving it because he did not trust them.
A weapon was subsequently reported to have been discovered after the vehicle reached the station, the brief said.
“The sequence of events raises serious questions about how the weapon came to be found in the vehicle after the initial search,” the office stated.
It said the possibility of evidence being planted could not be dismissed without an independent and thorough examination. It called for investigators to establish who had access to the car between the initial search and the reported discovery, and to scrutinise the integrity and chain of custody of any recovered evidence.
The office also alleged that Special Branch personnel regularly followed Mohamed and that the vehicle was known to police. It questioned whether security personnel associated with Narine’s residence would have recognised it.
The account differs from the police statement which said Narine observed the car pass his Barr Street, Kitty residence and return shortly afterwards. On its second approach, he heard what appeared to be a gunshot, took cover and fired several rounds from his service weapon towards it.
The force said the vehicle was later intercepted at Vlissengen Road and Sandy Babb Street and that a search conducted in the occupants’ presence uncovered a .32 Taurus pistol without a serial number and three live rounds. Police reported recovering one .32 spent shell and four 9mm spent shells at Barr Street.
The diplomatic brief described Narine as claiming he had been shot at first. The police statement, however, said Narine heard what appeared to be a gunshot and did not identify who allegedly fired it.
Mohamed’s office called for a thorough, impartial and transparent examination of the shooting, including who fired and the motive; the legal basis for the arrests; and the treatment of the men in custody.
It also requested examination of records, photographs, videos and witness accounts of the initial search; the vehicle’s movements and chain of custody; the origin of the firearm; and any forensic evidence linking it to the occupants.
All relevant CCTV footage, ballistic evidence, police records and witness statements should be preserved, the office said.
The brief argued that the Opposition Leader’s ability to engage citizens and perform parliamentary duties without threats to his safety was fundamental to democratic government.
It alleged a broader pattern of victimisation against Mohamed and We Invest in Nationhood, accusing state institutions of being used to intimidate political opponents. Those assertions were presented as the office’s assessment.
Diplomatic missions were asked to seek clarification from the Guyanese authorities, encourage a transparent process safeguarding evidence and due process, and raise concerns about the security of opposition officeholders. The office also urged international partners to remain engaged with developments affecting political participation and the rule of law.
In a separate statement last night, the government asserted that shots had come from Mohamed’s vehicle, pledged to apply the full force of the law and said the United States Department of Justice was being kept informed. It linked the incident to Narine’s role as a critical witness in the Mohameds’ extradition proceedings.
Mohamed’s office maintained that the circumstances required clarification and accountability.
“Guyana must not drift towards a political environment in which violence, intimidation, or the perceived misuse of state institutions undermines the ability of elected representatives to fulfill their constitutional mandate,” it said.
Source: Kiskadee Watch
