Dear Editor,
I wish to thank Mr Surujdai Juglall for his letter to the editor published in the December 15, 2025 edition of the Stabroek News under the caption “Mohamed’s conduct is inconsistent with the Attorney General’s definition of fugitivity.”
The gravamen of the letter is Mr Juglall’s umbrage with my description of Mr Azruddin Mohamed as a “fugitive offender.” Based upon what I have seen elsewhere, Mr Juglall is not singular in his misapprehensions of that phrase. Therefore, it is necessary that I set the public record straight.
My use of the term fugitive offender in describing Mr Mohamed is directly referrable to the governing legislation on the matter: the Fugitive Offenders Act, Cap. 10:04.
The Long Title of the Act reads “An Act to make provision with respect to the extradition of fugitive offenders from and to Guyana and for matters connected therewith.”
Section Two of the Act defines a “fugitive offender” as “a person who is accused, or alleged to be unlawfully at large after conviction, of an extraditable offence committed within the jurisdiction of Guyana or any Commonwealth country or foreign territory and is or is suspected to be in any country or territory, other than the country or territory in which the offence was committed or the person was convicted.”
I have taken the liberty to underline the relevant words in the definition applicable to Mr Mohamed for easy reading. In short, it is the law that describes Mr Mohamed as a “fugitive offender.” I sincerely hope that this brief note will now put the matter to rest.