HGP Nightly News – The High Court has dismissed a legal challenge by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, who alleged political bias in the government’s handling of their extradition proceedings.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Chief Justice (ag) Navindra Singh found no merit in the claim that the Minister of Home Affairs acted with political bias in authorizing the extradition process under the Fugitive Offenders Act.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, explained the court’s reasoning, stating that the claim of political rivalry was “simply manufactured.” He emphasized that the Mohameds entered politics long after the U.S. sanctions and extradition process were initiated, undermining their argument of being targeted for political reasons.
“The question of bias does not arise… They choose to go into politics after these events,” the Attorney General stated, summarizing the court’s acceptance of the State’s argument.
The Mohameds had sought to have the Authority to Proceed, along with subsequent arrest warrants and magistrates’ court proceedings, declared unlawful and quashed on the grounds of bias by executive officials. They argued that Azruddin Mohamed’s role as a political competitor in the 2025 elections rendered the process unfair.
State attorneys, including AG Nandlall and Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, successfully countered that the Minister of Home Affairs performs an executive, not a judicial, function in this phase of the process, and that accepting such a defense would create a precedent allowing any fugitive to evade justice by entering politics.
The court accepted the State’s position, ruling that the minister acted within the lawful executive duties assigned by Parliament. The Chief Justice also awarded costs of $500,000 to each of the three respondents: the Attorney General, the Minister of Home Affairs, and Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, totaling $1.5 million.
