Guyanese businessman denies buying gold from Nicholas Maduro’s soldiers
Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro sits beside gold bars
August 12, 2025
Allegations of Gold Smuggling and falsifying of gold declaration documents locally; dragged businessman Tamesh Jagmohan out of his bed to issue an early-morning press statement at 01:24hrs, clearing his name and that of his company, Eldorado Trading.
The allegations were made by fellow gold dealer Junior Baksh during an interview with television journalist Travis Chase on March 27, 2025. It should be noted that while the video was not officially released or published by the journalist or the media house he works with (HGPTV Nightly News), Social Media personality Melissa Ann-Holder, who goes by the Social Media handle Melly Mel, released part of the interview on Social media Monday evening during a Facebook Live Broadcast.
Businessman Junior Baksh, whose business operations are located on Chruch Street in Georgetown, stated that he was an agent for businessman Tamesh Jagmohan, where his responsibilities were to buy gold on his behalf. He said the relationship between the two started when he, Baksh, wanted to expand his gold operations and needed a financier.
Below is a part of the transcript of Businessman Junior Baksh’s utterances after he was asked by Journalist Travis Chase about the relationship between him and Tamesh Jagmohan.
“There are generals, military people that are directly connected to Maduro (Venezuela’s President) the gold will come from the refinery through them because its some big bars, it is stamped 99.99 percent and those military people will bring it from Venezuela into Bovista where Andre Parag (An alleged cousin of Guyana Government Minister of Local Government Sonia Parag) would purchase it from them. Then he would smuggle to Lethem and deliver it to Tamesh Jagmohan’s office that he has in Lethem. He would ask me not to deliver the gold to him to him 99.99 percent, he would ask me to dilute it, mix it with other lower quality so that it would be 90 percent or anything other than 99.99 percent because it was known then that the gold coming from Venezuela is 99.99 percent so he did not want it to be known that he is dealing with Venezuelan Gold. It goes to his office, his main office is in Kingston, next to the American Embassy, and some of it will go in Da Silva Street; he has another office in Da Silva Street. I don’t know if all is sold to the gold board but yes because he would ask me from time to time to get names of miners or people that want to declare gold so that he can make receipts in those people name and pass it through the gold board as if it is mined locally” Businessman Junior Baksh told Journalist Travis Chase.
In 2021, the Royal Canadian Mint ceased purchasing gold from Eldorado Trading, the company owned by Tamesh Jagmohan, after they suspected that the gold the company was selling to the Royal Canadian Mint was mixed with gold coming from Venezuela.
Early Tuesday morning, Tamesh Jagmohan issued a statement to the press distancing himself from the allegations and said his business relationship with Junior Baksh ended after he, Tamesh Jagmohan, had concerns with Baksh’s ethical practices.
“I am aware of a recent interview in which Mr. Junior Baksh has made false and damaging allegations about my past business dealings. Mr. Baksh worked as my gold buying agent several years ago, but our association ended over concerns about his unethical business practices.
I categorically deny all of the allegations made in the interview. I have always conducted my business in strict compliance with the laws of Guyana. The timing of these unfounded claims is suspicious and raises serious questions about the motives behind their release.
All legal options are being considered, including proceedings against Mr. Baksh and any individuals who may have influenced or facilitated these statements.”
Warmest regards,
Tamesh Jagmohan.
