By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The high-stakes extradition battle involving businessmen Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed took a sharp turn on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, as the defense and prosecution clashed over the very format of the proceedings. Before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, legal counsel for the Mohameds launched a fierce pushback against a prosecutorial bid to switch from an oral Preliminary Inquiry (PI) to a “paper committal” process.
The defense argues that this procedural shift is a strategic attempt by the state to shield evidence from cross-examination.
The Procedural Conflict: Oral vs. Paper
For four months, the extradition hearings have proceeded via oral testimony. However, the prosecution, led by Attorney-at-Law Glenn Hanoman, has now applied to have the committal conducted on paper.
- Oral Preliminary Inquiry (Current): Witnesses take the stand, give evidence under oath, and are subject to cross-examination by the defense. This allows the defense to test the credibility of the accusations.
- Paper Committal (Proposed): Evidence is submitted via written witness statements and documentary exhibits. The Magistrate then reviews these “on paper” to decide if there is sufficient evidence to commit the defendants for extradition, often bypassing live cross-examination.
The Defense’s Objection: Attorney-at-Law Siand Dhurjon accused the prosecution of attempting to “derail” the transparency of the case. He argued that removing the oral element effectively strips the Mohameds of their constitutional right to interrogate the evidence that is being used to send them to a foreign jurisdiction.
Magistrate Latchman Questions the “Error of Law”
Magistrate Judy Latchman appeared to share some of the defense’s concerns regarding the appropriateness of paper committal in a matter of this gravity.
- Jurisdictional Scope: The Magistrate reminded the court that paper committals are traditionally reserved for standard indictable criminal offenses heading to the High Court, and questioned their application in an international extradition committal hearing.
- Testing the Evidence: Latchman pointedly asked the prosecution whether justice is not “ordinarily shaped” through the cycle of examination-in-chief and cross-examination.
- Defense Support: Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde echoed these sentiments, suggesting that a shift now—over a month after the first witness testified—would constitute an “error of law” and a breach of procedural fairness.
Case Status and Adjournment
The Mohameds remain on GY$150,000 bail each as they face 11 counts of alleged wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering brought by the United States government.
Key Upcoming Dates:
- February 26, 2026: The case is set to resume for a formal ruling or further arguments on the “Paper Committal” application.
- The “Stay” Factor: This legal maneuver in the Magistrates’ Court is happening in parallel with the Mohameds’ application to the Court of Appeal for an urgent stay of the entire extradition process.
