Angostura deputy CEO placed on leave amid probe

Angostura Holdings has placed Deputy CEO Rahim Mohammed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, the latest in a string of high-level executive shake-ups at one of the Caribbean's most iconic spirits companies.

Angostura Holdings Limited filed a Material Change Disclosure with the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange confirming that Deputy CEO Rahim Mohammed was placed on paid administrative leave effective February 26, 2026, pending the completion of an investigation. The notice was issued by order of the board and signed by Corporate Secretary Kathryna Baptiste Assee. The company did not disclose the nature of the probe, and Chairman Gary Hunt confirmed no further details would be released at this stage. Sources cited potential issues around the cost of overseas travel and fees related to the publication of an article in a US outlet dating back roughly ten months as possible flashpoints. Mohammed's portfolio had already been reduced to international sales alone from the end of October 2025, and managers across the company were told their delegation of authority would be suspended from March 2, with board approval required for leave and expenditures.

The suspension of Mohammed — just ten months into a newly created deputy CEO role — deepens uncertainty around Angostura's executive stability at a critical moment for the brand. The company has experienced near-continuous leadership change since 2024, including a full board resignation, a CEO effectively eased out, and now a probe involving a senior international sales executive. For a publicly traded company with regional and global distribution, this level of churn carries reputational and operational risk. The decision to require board approval for staff leave and expenditures from March 2 suggests governance concerns that go beyond one individual.

"Mr Rahim Mohammed, Deputy Chief Executive Officer – International Sales of Angostura Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries, has proceeded on paid administrative leave with effect from February 26, 2026, until the completion of an investigation."

— Angostura Holdings Limited Material Change Disclosure, T&T Stock Exchange, February 2026

Corporate governance process being followed correctly: The company maintains that the matter is under active investigation and that it is not in a position to comment further. The formal disclosure to the stock exchange signals that Angostura is adhering to its legal obligations under Trinidad and Tobago securities law, projecting an image of procedural compliance even amid opacity about the probe's specifics.

Due process and natural justice must be protected: Labour leaders are cautioning against prejudging the outcome, stressing that a suspension is not a finding of guilt. Annisette argues that the right to be heard and principles of natural justice must apply at every level of the workplace, from shop floor workers to senior executives, and that democratic societies must uphold these standards consistently.

Broader governance concerns at Angostura run deeper than one executive: Sources cited by the Sunday Guardian point to a pattern of portfolio stripping, suspended delegation of authority company-wide, and disputes over travel costs and publication fees — suggesting the Mohammed leave may be one symptom of wider boardroom efforts to reassert control over an executive layer that had operated with considerable autonomy.

"A suspension is not a dismissal and should not be read as a finding of guilt. The right for anybody to be heard in their defence has to be a fundamental principle that we have to continue to respect and to practice in a society where we talk about democracy."

— Michael Annisette, President, SWWTU and General Secretary, NATUC, via Trinidad and Tobago Sunday Guardian

Angostura's aromatic bitters grace bar counters from Port of Spain to London — a liquid symbol of Caribbean excellence. That legacy makes the current boardroom turbulence all the more troubling.

Within roughly eighteen months, Angostura has endured a full board resignation, a CEO quietly repositioned, and now a deputy CEO suspended just ten months into a newly created role — with managers stripped of authority to approve even staff leave without board sign-off. That is not routine housekeeping. That is institutional dysfunction.

The Material Change Disclosure satisfies securities law. It does not satisfy the reasonable expectations of shareholders, employees, or a Caribbean public with genuine pride in this brand.

Corrections may well be necessary. But a publicly traded regional icon cannot govern itself through opacity. When the investigation concludes, Angostura's board owes clear answers — not another carefully worded silence.