United States Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, yesterday said that the investigation leading to the sanctioning of the Mohameds and Permanent Secretary Mae Toussaint Jr. Thomas-Meerabux, was more than two years in the making and that information could not be provided to anyone here lest it be compromised.
“These sanctions were two and a half years plus of investigations ongoing in the United States. We reserve these type of sanctions for gross levels of corruption and human rights abuses,” the Ambassador yesterday told reporters at the US Embassy, Georgetown, on the sidelines of a press conference held by United States Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Bonnie Jenkins.
“In fact, two days ago, we also levied sanctions on a few Russian financiers in the Ukraine crisis. So this is something that we reserve for very serious crimes. And after two and a half years, it was a whole US Government investigation, and it’s a very high bar. We do not do this lightly. This is something that we ensure we have a preponderance of evidence before we are ready to issue sanctions, and we had that in this case against the three individuals who were sanctioned,” she added.