Chief Magistrate Refuses to Revoke Azruddin Mohamed’s Extradition Bail Despite Allegations of New Criminal Conduct; Opposition Leader Remains in Custody on Remand

By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman has officially refused an application brought by prosecutors representing the United States Government seeking to revoke the pretrial bail granted to Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed in his ongoing extradition proceedings.

The state’s application sought to cancel Mohamed’s bail bond following his recent arrest and arraignment in two separate criminal matters. However, the magistrate determined that pending charges and unproven allegations without a conviction do not provide sufficient legal grounds under the Bail Act to revoke his liberty in the extradition matter.

Despite the favorable ruling preserving his bail status before the extradition court, Mohamed remains in custody. He was remanded to prison on Friday, October 30, by Sparendaam Magistrate Abigail Gibbs in connection with a separate Cybercrime Act charge involving the alleged unauthorized acquisition and disclosure of surveillance footage from the Guyana Police Force Command Centre.

Outside the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, scores of supporters from We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) gathered along the perimeter to protest his incarceration and call for his release.

Prosecution Argues ‘Pattern of Misconduct’ and Witness Intimidation

During the hearing before Chief Magistrate Latchman, the prosecution—led in the extradition proceedings by King’s Counsel Terrence Williams and Jamaican attorney Herbert McKenzie—argued that Mohamed’s conduct since being admitted to bail warranted court intervention:

• October 12 Kitty Confrontation: Prosecutors pointed to an incident outside the Barr Street, Kitty residence of Senior Superintendent of Police Prem Narine, head of the Special Branch and a key witness in the United States extradition proceedings. Prosecutors contended that shots were allegedly discharged near Narine’s home, leading to charges against Mohamed and two associates for discharging a loaded firearm with intent to obstruct the course of justice, as well as alleged possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
• Leaked Police Command Centre Footage: The prosecution also cited fresh allegations where Mohamed and active-duty Police Constable Ryan Greene were charged under Section 9 of the Cybercrime Act 2018 for allegedly obtaining and disseminating classified surveillance recordings from the National Data Centre / Safe Country system in exchange for an $800,000 payment.
• Witness Safety Concerns: Prosecutors argued that these developments demonstrated an ongoing pattern of witness intimidation and interference with the administration of justice, submitting that the court possessed inherent jurisdiction to cancel his recognizance. Senior Superintendent Narine also took the witness stand, telling the court he felt threatened and feared for his personal safety.

Defense Challenge and the Magistrate’s Ruling

Appearing on behalf of Mohamed alongside attorney Siand Dhurjon, Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde resisted the state’s revocation motion:

• Statutory Threshold Under the Bail Act: Forde argued that the prosecution failed to meet the required legal standards under the Bail Act to justify revoking an existing bond, stressing that mere allegations do not equate to guilt.
• The Ruling: Delivering her decision, Chief Magistrate Latchman recognized that an accused person’s conduct without a conviction can be taken into account when evaluating bail matters. However, she ruled that pending charges without a conviction were insufficient to justify revoking his bail in this instance:

“I do not find that past conduct without a conviction or pending charges without a conviction is sufficient to warrant a revocation of bail… In these circumstances, bail is maintained for the Mohameds in relation to this matter.”

Magistrate Latchman noted that if a conviction were recorded while the extradition proceedings remained ongoing, such an outcome could be factored into a future revocation application.

Parallel Incarceration: Remand Order Remains Active

While Mohamed avoided having his extradition bond revoked, the decision does not lead to his release from prison:

• Remand Order Intact: Mohamed remains in prison custody under the October 30 remand order issued at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court by Magistrate Abigail Gibbs. In that matter, Mohamed and Constable Greene were denied pretrial release and remanded until November 24, 2026.
• High Court Intervention: Mohamed’s legal team has filed an urgent Fixed Date Application in the Constitutional and Administrative Division of the Demerara High Court. Acting through his mother, Bonita Mohamed, as his next friend, the defense is seeking an order of certiorari to quash the Sparendaam remand decision and secure reasonable bail pending trial.

The substantive extradition committal proceedings continue before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.