HGP Nightly News – The extradition committal hearing involving businessman Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin Mohamed moved into the evidence stage on Tuesday, with the prosecution calling its first witness after the court refused to pause the case despite fresh legal manoeuvres by the defence.
Proceedings in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts advanced after Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman made it clear from the bench that the matter could not be stopped in the absence of a formal stay from a superior court. Defence attorneys had served the court with a Notice of Appeal to the Full Court, challenging Acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh’s decision not to halt the extradition process, and argued that the hearing should be put on hold while constitutional issues are examined in the High Court. Latchman rejected that approach, ruling that there was no legal basis to suspend the committal hearing unless and until a stay is actually granted.
With the roadblock removed, the prosecution was directed to begin presenting its case, and witness testimony formally began with Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, taking the stand as the prosecution’s first witness.
The decision followed submissions from prosecutors led by King’s Counsel Terrence Williams, who argued that without a court-ordered stay, the magistrate’s court had no lawful authority to pause the committal hearing. Latchman ultimately endorsed that position and instructed the prosecution to proceed.
The hearing unfolded against the backdrop of the wider legal fight surrounding the extradition, including comments by Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, who has characterised the defence strategy as an attempt to delay proceedings through what he described as frivolous litigation. It also comes just a day after Acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh refused an application seeking to stay the extradition process.
The proceedings stem from a request by United States authorities, who are seeking the surrender of Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed in relation to federal criminal charges filed in the Southern District of Florida. The pair are accused of involvement in alleged financial crimes connected to gold exports, including fraud and money-laundering offences. The matter is being conducted under Guyana’s Fugitive Offenders Act and an existing extradition treaty between Guyana and the United States, and since the case began in late 2025, the defence has pursued multiple challenges, including constitutional arguments and applications aimed at halting or delaying the committal process.
