GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — After days of mounting speculation, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has broken his silence on the U.S. extradition request for businessman and Member of Parliament Azruddin Mohamed and his father Nazar Mohamed, insisting that the process is strictly legal, not political.
The two men, both sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2024, were arrested and granted bail last Friday, a day after the formal extradition request was delivered to Guyana. They face an 11-count indictment in the Southern District of Florida, including charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and customs-related offences.
In a nationally circulated interview released by the Office of the President, Dr. Ali dismissed claims that the arrests were politically motivated or connected to internal government maneuvering. “The extradition request was made in accordance with the legal and administrative mechanisms,” the President stated.
“Like other cases before it, the request was reviewed by the government after examining the evidence and being convinced that there is a clear case.” He added firmly: “This has nothing to do with any victim syndrome or political persecution.”
According to the President, the investigation into the Mohameds predates his administration, having originated internationally long before the PPP/C government took office. “This is not an investigation that started in Guyana,” Dr. Ali clarified. “It is international in nature. The idea that Parliament was delayed to accommodate an extradition is completely disconnected from reality, it’s a notion created for a specific agenda.”
He stressed that the government is following the rule of law, not political convenience.“We are going to work with our international partners to ensure that whatever legal and administrative steps must be taken, will be taken,” he said. “Nothing political, a straightforward case that’s being laid.”
The President’s comments come amid intense public scrutiny, not only because of the high-profile nature of the accused but also because of their past ties to the ruling party. The Mohameds have long been known for their financial support of the PPP/C, with Nazar Mohamed previously serving as a PPP councillor at the Eccles Neighbourhood Democratic Council, a position he has since resigned from.
The government’s decision to cooperate with the U.S. extradition process has fueled heated debate in political circles, with critics accusing the administration of hypocrisy and supporters hailing it as proof of Guyana’s growing commitment to international law and accountability.
As the extradition proceedings unfold, the case has placed Guyana under a global spotlight, testing not just the country’s justice system, but its political maturity in managing sensitive legal matters involving powerful figures once aligned with the government itself.
