The company that owns the Aiden by Best Western Hotel in Georgetown has sued Opposition Leader and WIN leader Azruddin Mohamed for $150 million. It alleges that videos he posted this month defamed the business by questioning who really owns it.
The claim
Arimu Investments Inc. filed the claim in the High Court on Monday, the Guyana Chronicle reported. It concerns videos posted to Facebook and TikTok on October 16 and 18. According to the claim, Mohamed suggested the hotel’s named shareholders were owners only on paper, and alleged that police officers and a vehicle were stationed at the property around the clock.
The company says its ownership is a matter of public record. It says any police presence is tied to security for visiting international dignitaries and foreign officials. It is seeking more than $100 million in damages, $50 million in aggravated damages, and unspecified exemplary damages. It also wants the videos taken down, a public apology and retraction, and an injunction against further publications. The claims have not yet been tested in court.
The context
The videos were posted after Mohamed was granted bail. He and two employees face charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and of attempting to pervert the course of justice. The charges relate to an October 12 incident near the Kitty home of Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, head of the police Special Branch and a witness in the United States’ extradition case against Mohamed. Washington wants him to stand trial on money laundering, wire fraud and mail fraud charges linked to his family’s gold business. None of these charges has been proven in court.
Mohamed has said he fears for his life and has called the Kitty incident an assassination attempt. He has alleged that Special Branch tracks his movements, pointing to a police vehicle he said was stationed outside the Aiden Hotel. His lawyer, Roysdale Forde, has argued in court that Narine has acted as witness, complainant and investigator in the related cases. These are allegations that have not been tested.
A pattern of claims
The lawsuit adds to a list of legal troubles for the man who leads Guyana’s largest opposition party. It also raises a familiar question about WIN’s leader: whether serious allegations made on social media against named businesses and individuals can be backed up when challenged. The Chronicle reported no response from Mohamed to the lawsuit.
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