HGP Nightly News – Businessmen Azruddin Mohamed and Nazar Mohamed have suffered another setback in their legal effort to block extradition proceedings linked to allegations of gold smuggling and money laundering.
The father-and-son pair had asked the Court of Appeal to overturn a February 4 decision by acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh, who had rejected their High Court challenge to the extradition process.
At the centre of the dispute was the Authority to Proceed issued by Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond, which formally authorised the extradition case under the Fugitive Offenders Act. Through their attorneys, the Mohameds argued that the minister’s decision was influenced by political considerations.
Their lawyers contended that Azruddin Mohamed’s involvement in politics, including his participation in the September 2025 General and Regional Elections, created circumstances where bias could reasonably be inferred. On that basis, they asked the court to invalidate the minister’s authorisation and terminate both the arrest warrant and the extradition proceedings currently before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman.
However, in his earlier ruling, Singh determined that the minister was carrying out an executive function prescribed by law and was not acting in a judicial or quasi-judicial capacity. The High Court therefore dismissed the application and ordered the Mohameds to pay $500,000 in costs to each respondent, including the Attorney General, the Minister of Home Affairs and Magistrate Latchman.
Unsuccessful at the High Court, the Mohameds turned to the appellate court seeking to overturn the decision. The Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed the challenge, finding that the applicants failed to demonstrate bias in the minister’s decision to authorise the extradition process.
The court also imposed further financial penalties, ordering the Mohameds to pay $3 million in costs, with $1.5 million awarded to Minister Walrond and $1.5 million to Attorney General Anil Nandlall.
