HGP NIGHTLY NEWS – Pending criminal charges are not enough to strip Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed of his freedom in the ongoing extradition proceedings. That was the position taken by Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman as she rejected the prosecution’s attempt to have his bail revoked.
Delivering her ruling, Magistrate Latchman found that the prosecution had failed to establish substantial grounds to justify revoking Mohamed’s existing bail.
The prosecution had relied on a series of pending criminal charges against the Opposition Leader in support of its application.
But the Chief Magistrate was not convinced.
“Charges without more do not [suffice]… there must be something substantial on the record,” she stated.
Latchman stressed that the mere existence of additional criminal charges, without sufficient supporting evidence, could not automatically justify the revocation of bail.
She also found that the prosecution had failed to establish that Mohamed breached any of the conditions imposed when bail was originally granted.
As a result, the Chief Magistrate ruled that Mohamed’s bail in the extradition proceedings would remain in place.
The ruling follows a similar decision delivered on Monday, when the court also declined to revoke his bail.
During the proceedings, prosecutor Glenn Hanoman reportedly indicated that the prosecution had repeatedly sought an opportunity to present additional evidence to the court.
In response, Magistrate Latchman advised that the material could be properly submitted through affidavits.
The decision represents another setback for the prosecution’s efforts to have Mohamed’s bail revoked in the extradition matter.
However, the ruling does not affect the separate criminal proceedings in which Mohamed has been remanded to prison.
Those matters remain before the courts, and the allegations have not been determined.
