Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha has become the latest senior government official to publicly push back against allegations made by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, forcefully denying claims surrounding the controversial Black Belly Sheep Project and accusing Mohamed of waging a politically motivated campaign built on “innuendo, distortion and speculation.”

Mustapha’s statement comes amid a flurry of responses from senior members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration as it seeks to rebut a series of allegations levelled by Mohamed against high-ranking government officials. The latest intervention follows recent public statements by President Irfaan Ali and others responding to claims that have dominated political discourse in recent weeks.

In a lengthy statement released on Monday, Mustapha described Mohamed’s latest accusations as entirely unfounded.