HGP Nightly News – A dengue diagnosis kept Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed out of court on Tuesday as the extradition hearing against him and his father continued without him. Nazar Mohamed was present at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court when the matter was called, along with attorneys for both the defence and prosecution. But Azruddin’s seat remained empty.
Attorney Roysdale Forde informed Magistrate Judy Latchman that Mohamed had fallen ill on Monday and sought medical attention. Lab tests, he said, confirmed dengue fever. The attending physician advised 12 days of rest, and a medical report was presented to the court.
Forde described Mohamed’s condition as severe—fever, chills, and headaches so intense they left him unable to appear either in person or via Zoom. The medication, he added, made him drowsy and incoherent.
Magistrate Latchman acknowledged the circumstances but noted that the medical report was issued by Dr. Dalip of a medical centre on Sandy Babb Street, Kitty. Rather than simply accept the document, she took the unusual step of issuing a summons for the doctor to appear before the court at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday.
Her intention, she indicated, is to ask several questions about the report.
The move signals a court carefully scrutinizing each absence in a case that has already seen multiple delays. With the prosecution previously describing the pace of proceedings as a “masterclass in delay,” Latchman appears intent on ensuring that medical claims are properly verified before the hearing is further postponed.
The extradition case against the Mohameds, who face U.S. charges of money laundering and tax evasion related to gold exports, has been marked by competing legal challenges and repeated adjournments. Tuesday’s development adds another layer—a judge demanding medical proof, delivered not just on paper but by the doctor who wrote it.
