Can ordinary Guyanese expect the same patience?

Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman has ruled that the extradition proceedings against United States-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, must continue, despite their lawyers’ request for a stay pending clarification from the Court of Appeal. Chief Magistrate Latchman made the ruling on Thursday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, stressing that she is bound by a recent order of the Court of Appeal and therefore must allow the proceedings to continue. The ruling came after Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, who appeared with attorneys Damien Da Silva and Siand Dhurjon, asked the Chief Magistrate to “stay her hand” while the defence seeks directions from the Court of Appeal on the scope and implications of its order. ... “Crisis of clarity” Forde described the situation as a “crisis of clarity”, arguing that the appellate court’s order has created uncertainty about how the committal proceedings should continue. The Court of Appeal has rejected the Mohameds’ request for a stay and permitted the extradition proceedings to continue. However, it ordered that Chief Magistrate Latchman embargo her final ruling while it determined the men’s constitutional challenge to certain provisions of the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Act. During submissions before Magistrate Latchman, the defence maintained that the constitutional challenge has implications for the extradition proceedings and argued that she should await directions from the Court of Appeal before proceeding further with the committal hearing. However, the prosecution urged the court to continue with the matter. The prosecution is led by Jamaican King’s Counsel Attorney-at-Law Terrence Williams, along with fellow Jamaican attorneys Herbert McKenzie and Celine Deidrick. The prosecution submitted that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) had upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal and, as a result, the extradition proceedings should continue. The extradition proceedings, which began on January 6, had been placed on hold since March 25 following an order of the CCJ. That order was discharged on July 29 after the regional court dismissed the Mohameds’ challenge to the Authority to Proceed (ATP) issued by Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond, which they had challenged on grounds of alleged political bias. With the CCJ matter disposed of, the extradition proceedings resumed, although the subsequent Court of Appeal order placed a restriction on the Chief Magistrate’s ability to make a final determination. ... extradition proceedings commenced ... His evidence is ... tested under cross-examination by ... defence. Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sharon Roopchand Edwards, who ... previously available for cross ... examination, did not take the ... for that purpose ... Extradition The United States is seeking the extradition of the Mohameds over allegations stemming from a multi-year scheme involving the evasion of taxes and royalties on gold exports, money laundering and wire fraud. US authorities alleged that falsified customs declarations and the reuse of government export seals were used as part of the scheme, which allegedly resulted in approximately US$50 million in revenue losses to the Government of Guyana. Both father and son were sanctioned by the US Government in 2024 and subsequently indicted in the United States in 2025 on criminal charges arising from the alleged gold export and tax-evasion scheme. The Mohameds continue to challenge their extradition under Guyana’s Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Act on various grounds, including a constitutional challenge to provisions of the legislation that remains before the Court of Appeal. Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed remain on $150,000 bail each pending the determination of the extradition proceedings. Their bail conditions include surrendering their passports and reporting weekly to the Ruimveldt Police Station.

# Chief Magistrate offers caution against rushing of Mohameds' extradition proceedings - News Source Guyana Author: News Source Guyana Published: 2026-09-10T16:56:50+00:00 Source: newssourcegy.com (newssourcegy.com) Language: en ## Story Chief Magistrate offers caution against rushing of Mohameds' extradition proceedings - News Source Guyana # Chief Magistrate offers caution against rushing of Mohameds’ extradition proceedings By News Source Guyana on September 10, 2026 Stating clearly that the Court will not take orders from persons inside or outside of the Courtroom, Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman today warned against rushing the extradition proceedings involving the Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed. She also cautioned Special Prosecutor, Glen Hanoman, who had complained about the length of time that the case was taking to be completed. “This Court will not be controlled by any mortal within inside of this Court or outside of this Court. The Court will never be controlled by any mortal being, only by divine intervention. This Court will control its own pace,” the Chief Magistrate said. Noting that the case is of great national importance, Chief Magistrate Latchman said it deserves “quality and “careful” attention, and should not be rushed. “I am well aware of the timeline; I need no reminder of the timeline. Justice delayed is justice denied but again we must also recognize that rushed justice is crushed justice,” the Chief Magistrate said. She said the case is a complicated matter with complicated issues, and ought to be carefully considered, warning that “justice in pace” can give rise to complications and mistakes, and the Court needs to get it right “We need to get it right, the court needs to get it right, and this court will not take orders within or outside,” the Chief Magistrate iterated. But even as she spoke, Hanoman attempted to interject, and it was then that she inquired whether she should leave, so he can speak. The issue arose following written submissions by both the Prosecution and Defence on a question initially posed to Senior Superintendent Prem Narine as he was being cross-examined by Defence Attorney Siand Dhurjon during occasion. But as the Court today sought clarification on a number of the submissions made by the Defence, Attorney Dhurjon indicated to the Court that he would be withdrawing the question, which did not sit well with the Prosecution. Hanoman told the Court that it would appear as though the Defence is on “fishing expedition,” with its questions. With the cross-examination of the witness ongoing for days, Hanoman told the Court that he thinks the Court is losing sight. The Chief Magistrate interjected and made it clear that it is for the Prosecution to advocate, and for the Court to adjudicate. The Defence Attorney said that his team was on no fishing expedition, even as the Special Prosecutor accused the Attorneys for the Mohameds of abusing the Court process. It was while Hanoman was lamenting the issue, and complaining about the lengthy cross-examinations being done by the Defence that the Chief Magistrate offered her words of caution.

U.S. grand jury indicts Azruddin Mohamed, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed for wire fraud, money laundering on gold exports, Lamborghini – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana ... # U.S. grand jury indicts Azruddin Mohamed, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed for wire fraud, money laundering on gold exports, Lamborghini by Denis Chabrol Monday, 6 October 2025, 7:55 Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed ... A United States (U.S.) grand jury has indicted city businessmen Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed on charges of wire and mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, stemming from tax evasion on gold exports and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury car. ... If found guilty on the charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, the Mohameds, who were sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), separately, could face a maximum of 20 years on each count, maximum supervised release of three years, a maximum fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss. ... The U.S. is also asking the court that “upon conviction…as alleged in this Indictment, the defendants shall forfeit to the United States any property, real or personal, which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to such offense.” ... The indictment states that the property directly subject to forfeiture as a result of the alleged offenses includes, but is not limited to a shipment containing approximately US$5.3 million in gold bars shipped from Guyana by Mohamed ‘s Enterprise and seized at Miami International Airport on June 11, 2024. ... The unsealed indictment states that in the case of Mr Azruddin, from in or around 2017, and continuing through on or about June 11 , 2024, in Miami-Dade County in the Southern District of Florida, and elsewhere, the defendants, did knowingly, and with the intent to further the objects of the conspiracy, combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other and others, known and unknown to the grand jury, to commit offenses against the United States. ... The indictment states that the purpose of the conspiracy was for the defendants to unlawfully enrich themselves and defraud the government of Guyana in connection with taxes and royalties owed. The U.S. accuses the Mohameds of reusing empty boxes with intact Guyana Revenue Authority and Guyana Gold Board seals for “shipments of gold to make it appear that Mohamed’s Enterprise had paid Guyana taxes and royalties on shipments of gold when, in truth and in fact, Mohamed’s Enterprise had not paid them on those shipments of gold.” ... The grand jury also accuses the Mohameds of paying bribes to Guyanese government officials, including customs officials, so that customs officials would accept shipments of gold by Mohamed’s Enterprise with duplicate paperwork and reused GRA and GGB seals from Miami to Mohamed’s Enterprise office in Guyana thereby avoiding the proper payment of Guyanese taxes and royalties. ... In terms of the Lamborghini purchase and exportation to Guyana, the U.S. grand jury says Azruddin Mohamed directed an unnamed individual to acquire a Lamborghini from California that cost approximately US$680,000 for his benefit, caused the shipment of the Lamborghini via private and commercial interstate carrier from Miami to Guyana, directed Individual 1 to create an invoice to make it falsely appear that the Lamborghini cost US$75,300 when, in truth and in fact, the Lamborghini cost approximately US$680,000, and caused the false Lamborghini invoice to be presented to the GRA and thereby avoided over one million dollars in taxes he owed to the GRA. ... The Mohameds ... once investors in Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase but after word surfaced that they could have been ... exited the investment because U.S ... companies and individuals from doing business with OFAC-san ... ed individuals and entities.