Legal Road Ends for ‘Guyanese Critic’: Cementing Multi-Million Defamation Judgment for Mohameds

By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA & PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD — Social media commentator Mikhail Rodrigues, widely known as the “Guyanese Critic,” and his digital media company, They Break News Inc., have exhausted their final avenue of legal appeal after the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) dismissed their application for special leave to appeal a multi-million-dollar defamation judgment awarded to Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed.

The order issued by the regional apex court leaves fully intact the decisions of Guyana’s Supreme Court of Judicature, ending a protracted multi-year legal battle over defamatory statements broadcast across Rodrigues’s live internet platforms.

In tossing out Rodrigues’s application, the regional final appellate court ruled that it was satisfied there was “no egregious error of law in, nor risk of a gross miscarriage of justice arising from” the earlier decision delivered by the Court of Appeal of Guyana on April 24, 2026.

The Judicial Odyssey: From Default Judgment to Full Court Affirmation

The defamation action arose after Rodrigues broadcast false and reputational claims targeting the business operations and integrity of the Mohameds:

• The High Court Judgment: High Court Judge Justice Nigel Niles originally entered judgment against Rodrigues and They Break News Inc. after the commentator failed to file an affidavit in defence within statutory timelines prescribed by Guyana’s Civil Procedure Rules (CPR).
• The Assessment of Damages: Justice Niles ordered Rodrigues and his entity to pay a $22.5 million defamation judgment, along with $3.5 million in exemplary/punitive damages and associated legal costs.
• Failed Move to Set Aside: Rodrigues’s legal team applied to set aside the default ruling, arguing that Justice Niles committed an error in law by placing disproportionate weight on rigid procedural deadlines while failing to consider applications for extensions of time or the overarching objective of hearing disputes on their substantive merits.
• Full Court Backing: On review, the Full Court of Guyana firmly dismissed Rodrigues’s challenge, determining that Justice Niles properly exercised judicial discretion under the CPR regarding default judgments. The appellate panel affirmed that there was no misapprehension of facts, error of law, or disregard of settled legal principles.

CCJ Shuts the Door: ‘No Miscarriage of Justice’

Following the Court of Appeal of Guyana’s confirmation of the Full Court ruling on April 24, 2026, Rodrigues mounted an application on June 8, 2026, seeking special leave to appeal directly before the Caribbean Court of Justice in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

The CCJ’s formal order—signed and sealed by Deputy Registrar and Marshal Gizel Thomas-Roberts—denied the application with costs, affirming that Guyana’s appellate courts correctly enforced the rules of civil practice.

With the CCJ’s dismissal, the judgment is final and unappealable, leaving Rodrigues and They Break News Inc. liable for the combined $26 million in damages, accrued interest, and legal costs.

Family Reacts: ‘We Will Recover Every Last Dollar’

Reacting to the final appellate order, Hana Mohamed, sister of Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, took to social media to state that the family intends to execute the judgment against Rodrigues’s personal and commercial assets without delay:

“We will pursue every lawful means to recover every last dollar, even if it means seizing the clothes off his back,” she stated on her Facebook platform.

Legal counsel for the claimants confirmed that enforcement procedures—including writs of execution, property levy, and bank garnishment orders—can now proceed through the Marshal’s registry to recover the outstanding sums.