Azruddin is running out of options — Dev Harry — Opinion

Azruddin is running out of options

August 29, 2026·3 min read

Dear Editor,

Azruddin’s ascension to politics came at the backdrop of sanctions. In my view, as is the case of many, the idea was to seek presidential immunity to protect his vast wealth and himself from prison.

Prior to his political debut and before investigations into his business dealings, he was quite unknown, living a luxurious life with no care for the people of this country. His charities and popularity only increased after the investigations began because it was an operation to curate his image as the “Guyanese Robin Hood”.

Moreover, his entrance into politics only came after the realisation that the government had to choose a side i.e. protect him and risk the stability of the country/political implications or vice versa.^[1]

His support from those opposing the PPP/C government today would’ve been nonexistent had Freedom House chosen to protect him, but this is Guyana and we have a group of politicians (Same old PNC despite their numerous rebranding and proxy parties) whose sole objective is power and as such would do anything to achieve it, even siding with a suspected criminal.

Our society is quite unique also as we have a population easily subjected to the whims of political directives from across the spectrum with only a tiny fraction willing to do their own critical thinking.

Azruddin knows this, so like any billionaire that wants to be viewed in a good light, he spent his money on partisan media houses and influencers whose agendas are solely to create conspiracies and twisting information to mislead the population to gain relevance.

Guyanese who support him are largely gullible and easily swayed by money to the extent that they will stifle their conscience, intellect and morality to put on Oscar winning performances to benefit from the billion-dollar fortune.

The hypocrisy although evident is ludicrous because of the double standards his supposed virtuous supporters and team engage in.

The reality he is dreading, however, is slowly catching up as he knows his money will never be able to buy his way out of facing the law. His tactics of hiding behind a comedian, to whisper in his ears and take over his very minimal press engagements are tell-tale signs of a sailor who is consumed by and cannot run from reality any longer.

His actions and statements in the past are slowly coming back to bite him since he seems fearful of the continuance of the extradition in the courts^[2], because he knows the committal proceedings will make public all the evidence he has spent the last year denying.

He knows the implications it would wreak on the future of his political party and the other factions associated with it; that is why he began his petty series of “government exposé” to try and distract the population from these proceedings; that is also why he took a case of bias to the CCJ and lost; that’s why he is now actively trying to stop the extradition instead of proving his innocence in court; that’s why his stunt Tuesday evening with a go fast boat that can easily access international waters in the dead of the night^[3] where hardly anyone will notice is quietly being covered up using the satire of “harassment” when in truth if he had nothing to fear why run away when being pursued by the Joint Services?

They were quick to record when they were apprehended but somehow forgot to do so when being pursued, hysterical isn’t it?

Like a headless chicken, he is running out of options by the day, so the most probable course of action for him in his desperation to enjoy his ill-gotten spoils is to escape (which I believe is now foiled).

Kind regards,
Dev Harry

References

Guyana President Irfaan right to back America — icdn.today ↩
CJ rules against Mohameds in challenge to extradition proceedings - Stabroek News — www.stabroeknews.com ↩
Opposition Leader’s boat detained after he failed to produce ‘papers’ – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana — demerarawaves.com ↩

Guyana President Irfaan right to back America

icdn.today · 2026-03-05

In certain situations, principles cannot save or protect or favor a state as we found out in Venezuela, Iran, Trump’s treatment of CARICOM leaders, among cases. While a nation or person must embrace principles (of sovereignty, etc.), one must also be pragmatic. One lives in a very dangerous world now unlike previously. If you don’t support Washington, you run the risk of being penalized as has happened to most of Latin America and the Caribbean nations. President Ali and Prime Minister Kamla of T&T, as have six other Latin American leaders, have been invited to the President’s home, Mara Largo, because of their support for him on foreign policy in the region. And were they to disagree with the President on Iran, they most certainly would be disinvited from the summit as you noted. ... President Trump is a transactional leader. You support him, and he will watch your back. Guyana is rewarded for supporting USA . Trump temporarily removed the Maduro threat to Guyana. So the arguments in your editorial (especially on sovereignty) do not seriously address Guyana’s predicament regardless of which party would have been in government and who is President. Guyana has found itself in a very precarious position – side with President Trump on the conflict in Venezuela and Iran and retain support on territorial integrity (control over oil and gas, minerals, etc.) or face a sovereignty threat, high tariffs, and maybe even decline in oil revenues. There are those who argue that Guyana can use its economic clout (oil and gas and other natural resources) to bargain with Washington on “exercising greater sovereignty” and defying Trump. Those critics don’t understand the people who run the current White House. Iran and Venezuela have a lot of natural resources and economic clout, and they could not bargain with Trump on “sovereignty matters” or make demands. Iran also has some military might and had defied Trump. Yet it is being bombed and forced to capitulate to Washington dictates. Support Trump or face the consequences. ... The world is not being run the way it did pre-2025. And even during that era, sovereign nations became victims for not humbling themselves to supporting Washington and respecting the Monroe Doctrine. Guyana was a victim multiple times; adhering to UN sovereignty principles led to the toppling of the government in 1953, racial violence in the 1960s, toppling of the government in 1964, restoration of democracy in 1992, removal of governments from office in 2015 and 2020, and more. Have we forgotten what happened after the government (using principles of sovereignty) attacked Ambassador Brent Hardt on America’s independence day? A small country cannot easily defy or disrespect USA without serious consequences. Global principles are not adhered to even by powerful nations as those in Europe (G 7) which have capitulated and are kowtowing to President Trump. Guyana has to adjust to global, if not regional, reality. If you don’t support Washington on geo-strategic (military) requests, you will be isolated and worse penalized. ... President Ali (and PM Kamla in Trinidad) are right to condemn Iran’s attacks on neighbors that widens the West Asia war and risks a global economic fallout over energy. Kamla supports USA against Iran. Guyana (or Trinidad) is not in a position to offer guidance on the war or on global relations. Yes, the war must end, and there should be dialogue and diplomacy to end conflict and we should return to a rules-based order. But that won’t happen anytime soon. Diplomacy works when there are equal powers, not between a weak and a powerful nation. We are a weak nation that has a border controversy and faces existential threat without American protection. We must pursue a pragmatic foreign policy that does not run counter to USA security and that also serves our national interests.

Source

Azruddin is running out of options in Guyana Chronicle, August 29, 2026

CJ rules against Mohameds in challenge to extradition proceedings - Stabroek News

www.stabroeknews.com · 2026-02-05

February 5, 2026 Acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh yesterday dismissed a constitutional challenge brought by gold dealers Nazar Mohamed and Azruddin Mohamed against US extradition proceedings against them in the magistrate’s court, ruling that the Minister of Home Affairs lawfully issued the Authority to Proceed (ATP) under Guyana’s extradition laws and was not biased in doing so. ... The applicants had sought to quash the ATP issued on October 30, 2025, arguing that Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond acted in breach of natural justice, ultra vires, and with apparent political bias, given that Azruddin Mohamed was expected at the time to become Leader of the Opposition. ... In a 14-page decision delivered in the Constitutional and Administrative Division of the High Court, the Chief Justice rejected those claims, holding that the minister exercised a lawful executive function in accordance with the Fugitive Offenders Act, Cap. 10:04. ... The proceedings arise from a formal extradition request made by the Government of the United States of America for the Mohameds to stand trial on federal indictments. The request was made pursuant to the 1931 Extradition Treaty between the United States and Great Britain, which remains applicable to Guyana. ... Following receipt of the request, Minister Walrond issued an Authority to Proceed under section 12 of the Fugitive Offenders Act. The applicants were arrested on October 31, 2025, and brought before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, who commenced committal proceedings. The applicants were granted bail pending the outcome of those proceedings. ... On December 23, 2025, the applicants filed a Fixed Date Application (FDA) seeking declarations that the ATP was unlawful and asking the court to halt the extradition process. ... Central to the court’s ruling was its finding that the issuance of an ATP is an executive not judicial or quasi-judicial function. ... The court held that in issuing an ATP, the minister does not determine guilt or innocence, resolve disputed facts, or adjudicate legal rights. Instead, the ATP merely activates a statutory process, allowing a magistrate to assess whether the legal requirements for committal are satisfied. ... “The decision operates only as a gateway to judicial proceedings; it does not itself determine the outcome of the extradition process,” the Chief Justice stated. ... The court accepted the minister’s affidavit evidence that she reviewed the extradition request and accompanying documents and determined that extradition could lawfully proceed. That evidence, the court noted, was not challenged by the applicants. ... The applicants also contended that they were denied ... were not given an opportunity ... was issued. ... The court rejected this submission, holding that the Fugitive Offenders Act does not provide for representations to be made by the subject of an extradition request prior to the issuance of an ATP. ... Citing UK authority, the court noted that extradition schemes do not require advance notice or hearings before an arrest is authorised, and that the appropriate forum for the applicants to be heard is during the committal proceedings before the magistrate. ... The court dismissed the Fixed Date Application in its entirety and refused a related application seeking to stay the extradition committal proceedings. ... The extradition committal proceedings before the magistrate are expected to continue today.

Opposition Leader’s boat detained after he failed to produce ‘papers’ – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana

demerarawaves.com · 2026-08-26

# Opposition Leader’s boat detained after he failed to produce ‘papers’ ... After an extensive search that turned up nothing illegal, police detained Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed’s ‘go-fast’ boat after he could not produce the registration and certificate of fitness of the vessel as well as the captain’s license. ... In response, he told the officer “you’ll get that at a later date. You can’t get that now” after which the officer said the vessel would be detained at the Guyana Defence Force’s Coast Guard headquarters. The officer said the documents should be on the vessel. After Mr Mohamed could not produce the keys for the vessel, the officer ordered police to search his person for them but none was found. ... Mr Mohamed later Wednesday morning said the vessel’s hull was damaged while in police custody for about four hours. ... WIN parliamentarian Tabita Sarabo-Halley said the captain with the information was not present at the marine wing of the Guyana Police Force to where the vessel was escorted by police and coast guard. “The captain left. The captain is not present to give it to you,” she said. Police said the vessel refused to stop when it entered the Demerara River and was later intercepted at Mr Mohamed’s dock at Friendship, East Bank Demerara. Ms Sarabo-Halley said their decision not to make the captain available is to protect him from being victimised because on a previous occasion another captain was eventually unable to get another job due to his association with Mr Mohamed. ... She accused the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC)-led Guyana government of using the police and Coast Guard to go target them on their return from Port Kaituma and Mabaruma where they met with survivors and relatives of the deceased of last month’s MV Barima river tragedy. “It is quite clear that the PPP was embarrassed today by what the residents of Port Kaituma and Mabaruma said about the fact that the government has done absolutely nothing for them since the tragedy,” she said. “On our way back, they concocted a whole plan and a whole lie that there was some chase on the waters and somebody was intercepted and there were sirens and somebody got away,” she said. She said the wider plan is to prevent him from travelling around Guyana, having prevented him from flying on domestic aircraft and made efforts to stop him from travelling by road “so that he can’t get to the people”. After Mr Mohamed and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed were sanctioned by the United States in June 2024 for alleged tax evasion linked to his gold smuggling operation, domestic airlines refused to fly him around the country and the Guyana Revenue Authority also attempted to seize his vehicles for alleged false declaration and evasion of import taxes. ... The law enforcement agent said he would not engage in “any cross-talk” with Mr Mohamed and he had an opportunity at his premises to produce the required documents. Mr Mohamed described the demand by the police as “nonsense” and “you don’t know about the law”. He argued that the boat was not in use at the time it was intercepted at the dock to which the officer replied that the boat was in the water. ... ### Update: Boat with Opposition Leader, other MPs intercepted, escorted to Coast Guard for search ... ### Opposition Leader in police detention; evidence disputes damage to go-fast boat ... ### Opposition Leader in police detention; evidence disputes damage to go-fast boat