Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and several of his Members of Parliament were detained late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning after a Joint Services operation involving the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard intercepted a private vessel at Friendship, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
The incident unfolded after Mohamed and his team reportedly returned from an outreach to communities affected by the MV Barima tragedy, including visits to Port Kaituma and Mabaruma.
In a statement issued at 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, the Police Force said a routine joint maritime patrol involving the GDF Coast Guard and the GPF observed a “go-fast” vessel entering the mouth of the Demerara River at a high rate of speed at about 21:45hrs.
Police said the vessel was signalled by siren to stop but failed to comply, prompting a pursuit. It was later intercepted at a wharf at Friendship.
According to the GPF, three persons were found aboard the vessel, including the Leader of the Opposition. Five other persons, suspected to have travelled aboard the vessel, were also observed at the wharf facility.
The GPF said the police and Coast Guard were jointly investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a follow-up statement issued at 1:51 a.m. Wednesday, police said further investigations revealed that Joint Services ranks, while on patrol and acting on information received, observed the vessel proceeding along the Demerara River toward the Friendship area at about 21:50hrs.
Police again said ranks signalled the vessel by siren to stop, but it failed to comply and sped away, leading to a pursuit before it was intercepted at the Friendship wharf.
During the pursuit, ranks reportedly observed a bag being thrown from the vessel into the Demerara River. Police said it has not yet been determined who threw the bag or what it contained.
Efforts are ongoing to locate and recover the bag and determine its contents, police said.
However, a statement issued on behalf of the Opposition Leader gave a sharply different account of the events, claiming the vessel was already docked when police, soldiers and Coast Guard ranks arrived at Mohamed’s premises at Friendship around 10:15 p.m.
According to that statement, Mohamed was seated aboard a privately owned vessel docked at the wharf, along with MPs Odessa Primus and Natasha Singh. MPs Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, Dawn Hastings-Williams and Deon LaCruz were reportedly standing on the wharf.
The Opposition Leader’s statement said ranks requested permission to search the vessel. When asked for the legal basis of the search, the officer in charge reportedly said there was “reasonable suspicion” of illegal activity.
The statement claimed the engagement became prolonged and raised concerns about what it described as the possible misuse of state authority and resources.
According to the Opposition Leader’s account, reinforcements were called, the vessel was disconnected from the dock and towed to the Marine Wing of the Ruimveldt Police Station, where it was searched.
The statement said nothing illegal was found aboard the vessel. Despite this, police reportedly informed Mohamed that the vessel was being detained because relevant documentation had not been produced.
The Opposition Leader’s statement said he requested documentation confirming the detention of the vessel, but was instead invited to sign a statement prepared by police. He declined to sign.
He was then reportedly informed that he was under arrest pursuant to the “Maritime Act.” The statement claimed that when Mohamed asked the officer to identify the specific provision under which he was being arrested, the officer was unable to cite it and simply repeated that the arrest was being made under the “Maritime Act.”
The statement said Mohamed remained in custody at the Marine Wing of the Ruimveldt Police Station up to the time of its release.
The Opposition Leader’s team also raised concerns over the handling of the vessel, claiming that after about four hours in police custody, the boat was left in a position that allegedly damaged the hull and engine foot. They described the alleged damage as deliberate, though police have not publicly responded to that claim.
The Opposition Leader’s statement further said no formal seizure or detention notice had been provided and no specific legal provision had been identified as the basis for either the detention of the vessel or Mohamed’s arrest.
It also claimed the circumstances were troubling because Mohamed was scheduled to appear before the court Wednesday morning.
In a separate statement, the Opposition Leader’s team said MP Natasha Singh was arrested at about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday for alleged unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to that account, the firearm is licensed to MP Dawn Hastings-Williams, who had placed her personal belongings in Singh’s vehicle before boarding the vessel to find out why police and Coast Guard personnel were attempting to conduct a search.
The statement claimed that while Hastings-Williams was on the vessel, the Coast Guard cut the rope securing the vessel to the dock, preventing her from returning to the vehicle and preventing Singh from re-boarding.
Singh reportedly left the compound in her vehicle to meet her colleagues at the location where the Coast Guard was taking them. However, the statement said police stopped her at the gate of the Opposition Leader’s compound and searched her vehicle.
During that search, the licensed firearm was reportedly found in the vehicle. The Opposition Leader’s team said police then arrested Singh and held her at the Farm Police Station.
The GPF has maintained that the matter remains under investigation and said additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
