Guyana Anti Corruption Network

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

### GACN Investigation: Minister at Table for US$800M Gold Project as His Son – With No Mining Experience – Was Granted Adjacent Concession

**Georgetown, Guyana** – The Guyana Anti-Corruption Network (GACN) is raising urgent questions following the appearance of Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha at a high-level meeting with international mining firm Aris Mining, even as his son, Javed Mustapha, was recently granted a 2,300-acre prospecting permit in close proximity to the company’s massive Toroparu Gold Project.

The meeting, which included President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Aris Mining CEO Neil Woodyer, focused on advancing the Toroparu Project in Region Seven—an investment valued at over **US$800 million** that promises employment for more than 150 Guyanese [GACN reporting].

Present at that table was Minister Mustapha. And while his ministerial portfolio is agriculture, not mining, his presence raises a singular and troubling question: Was he there to advance the national interest—or to safeguard a family windfall?

#### A Concession Granted, Questions Raised

In January 2026, an exemption order published in the *Official Gazette* awarded Javed Mustapha a **Prospecting Permits Medium Scale (PPMS) Exemption** for 2,300 acres of land [Official Gazette, January 2026]. According to reports monitored by GACN, that land is situated close to the Toroparu project—an area now poised for significant development and valuation increases driven by Aris Mining’s investment.

Notably, Javed Mustapha has **no publicly known background or experience in mining exploration or development**. Yet he now holds rights to prime land adjacent to one of the largest foreign investments in the country’s gold sector.

This is not an isolated case of apparent family benefit. Fresh allegations have linked the Mustapha family to other questionable dealings. WIN Party Leader Azruddin Mohamed recently raised concerns regarding vehicles bearing trade plates allegedly linked to an auto sales business operated by **Zayed Mustapha**, another son of the minister, which were observed parked at the residence of **Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir** . The implication of such associations—linking a minister’s family business to the residence of the country’s top parliamentary arbiter—further erodes public confidence in the impartiality of state institutions.

#### Broader Pattern of Corruption Allegations

Minister Mustapha is no stranger to public scrutiny over his family’s finances. The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party has previously called for his resignation, alleging that he and his family have “pocketed millions from public office” and amassed wealth and property far exceeding official incomes . Those allegations include the acquisition of prime state lands and assets that critics argue cannot be explained by ministerial salary alone.

In response to recent social media attacks, the Minister has stated that he has “nothing to fear,” pointing to his asset declarations to the Integrity Commission and insisting his property was financed through a mortgage and personal savings earned since 1989 . He has dismissed the allegations as frivolous, asserting that his accusers are the ones with “things in the closet” .

But the question before the Guyanese people is not whether the Minister has filed the required paperwork—it is whether the system itself is being gamed.

#### The Core Questions

GACN is not alleging criminality. We are, however, pointing to an **inescapable pattern**:

1. A senior minister sits at the table for a US$800 million mining project.
2. His son, with zero mining experience, is granted a concession adjacent to that project months earlier with large gold, copper and silver deposits.
3. Allegations of unexplained wealth and family business dealings involving another son continue to surface .
4. The government’s response has been silence or dismissal—not independent investigation.

#### A Pattern of Governance by Association

This is not about one family. It is about how Guyana’s resources are being parcelled out. The Toroparu project represents a significant national asset. Surrounding lands will increase in value. Roads will be built. Infrastructure will follow. Those holding adjacent concessions stand to gain enormously—not from their own investment or expertise, but from their proximity to power.

When concessions are granted to the relatives of sitting ministers—relatives with no relevant experience—the distinction between public development and private enrichment disappears.

Notably absent from the meeting was the Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat who is caught up in swirling controversy regarding mining in Marudi Mountains.

#### A Call for Transparency

GACN calls on:

– **President Irfaan Ali** to explain whether he was aware of the land holdings of the Minister’s son prior to the Aris Mining meeting, and whether any recusal protocols were observed.
– **Minister Zulfikar Mustapha** to disclose whether he has ever participated in any government discussions—formal or informal—regarding land use, mining policy, or infrastructure development in the vicinity of the Toroparu project.
– **The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC)** to release maps showing the exact coordinates of Javed Mustapha’s 2,300-acre concession in relation to the Aris Mining license area.
– **The Integrity Commission** to clarify whether any investigation has been initiated into the Minister’s statutory declarations in light of the ongoing public allegations.

Public office is a public trust. When ministers sit at tables where their family stands to benefit, that trust is broken—not necessarily by law, but by the appearance of impropriety. And in a small country, appearance is often reality.

The Guyanese people deserve to know: Was the Minister at that meeting to represent the nation—or to protect a family interest?

**— ENDS —**

**Media Contact:** [media@guyanaintegrity.com]
**Website:** [GACN website]

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**Note to Editors:** GACN has previously published detailed reporting on the January 2026 exemption order. Additional documentation, including the relevant pages of the *Official Gazette*, is available upon request.