“EXTRADITION DOCUMENTS CAME IN THE DARK OF NIGHT.” -DHURJON…‘POLITICS, RATHER THAN PROCEDURE, TOOK PRECEDENCE’

By | Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |

GUYANA — Tensions in the extradition committal hearing for Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, escalated on Friday, February 27, 2026, as the defense launched a blistering cross-examination of Sharon Roopchand, the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The hearing, presided over by Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, focused on the “breakneck speed” and unusual circumstances surrounding the receipt of the U.S. extradition request in October 2025.

“In the Dark of Night”: The Timeline Dispute

Defense attorney Siand Dhurjon challenged the PS on the specific chain of custody of the extradition documents. He suggested that the Ministry departed from standard administrative protocols to satisfy a political timeline.+1

• Late-Night Delivery: Testimony revealed that the U.S. request was received after official hours and delivered to the Minister of Home Affairs on the night of October 30, 2025.
• Short-Circuiting the System: Dhurjon argued that the documents should have been processed by the Ministry’s Legal Affairs and Treaty Departments rather than being personally fast-tracked by the PS.
• Inconsistent Practices: The defense compared the Mohameds’ case to an unrelated request involving a Mr. Bynoe, which arrived in early November 2025 but did not reach the court until February 2026. Roopchand admitted she did not personally handle the Bynoe request, which followed the standard departmental route.

Politics vs. Procedure

The defense team is building a case that the extradition is “intrinsically political,” fueled by Azruddin Mohamed’s recent rise as the leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party and his election as Opposition Leader in January 2026.

• The PS’s Defense: Roopchand stood firm, stating that as the competent authority, she had the power to transfer the documents directly to the Minister. She characterized the defense’s suggestions of irregularity as an “old wives’ tale.”
• Lobbying Allegations: Dhurjon questioned Roopchand on whether the Ministry had met with U.S. Marshals prior to the formal request and probed into statements linking the Mohameds to the Maduro regime in Venezuela. Roopchand testified she had no knowledge of such meetings or the hiring of lobbying firms to target the family.+1

Key Developments: The “Biggest Criminal” Outburst

The day was further marred by a heated exchange when Prosecutor Glen Hanoman allegedly referred to Azruddin Mohamed as “the biggest criminal” from the bar table. This prompted Dhurjon to apply immediately to have Hanoman barred from the case on the grounds of “prejudicial bias.” The Magistrate has requested written submissions on this matter.

Trial Snapshot: What’s Next?

The Mohameds currently face 11 criminal counts in the U.S., including money laundering and wire fraud related to a $50 million gold smuggling and tax evasion scheme.