‘Decades of Bribing Governments’: Prosecutor Glenn Hanoman Alleges Political Protection Shielded Mohamed Family from Past Criminal Probes; Hints at Looming Murder Indictment

By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — In an explosive submission that reverberated across the legal and political landscape, special prosecutor Glenn Hanoman alleged in open court that the prominent Mohamed business family systematically bribed successive Guyanese administrations over decades to insulate Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed from criminal prosecution.

Addressing Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Hanoman—who represents the requesting state in the ongoing United States extradition proceedings against Mohamed—asserted that political payoffs and institutional shielding, rather than an absence of prosecutorial evidence, explain why the businessman-turned-politician had avoided arrest in high-profile criminal matters for years.

The prosecutor cited the unsolved March 2021 execution-style killing of gold dealer and motor racer Ricardo Fagundes, popularly known as “Paper Shorts,” arguing that what the defense characterizes as sudden state victimization is actually the collapse of a multi-decade architecture of political protection.

Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom following the session, Hanoman disclosed that the State is preparing to institute additional indictable charges against Mohamed, including further cybercrime violations and murder.

Courtroom Allegations: Systemic Shielding vs. Political Victimization

Hanoman’s courtroom statements directly countered defense arguments that recent criminal cases against Mohamed are driven by political targeting following his emergence as a parliamentary opposition leader:

• Bribery of Successive Administrations: The prosecutor asserted that the Mohamed enterprise had historically insulated itself from statutory scrutiny across changing political directorates through continuous financial inducements.
• The Ricardo Fagundes Slaying: Hanoman linked the absence of past charges directly to the probe into the fatal shooting of Ricardo Fagundes outside Palm Court on Main Street, asserting that bribery compromised previous investigative tracks.
• Dismantling of Protection: The prosecutor maintained that the state’s recent legal actions reflect the dismantling of an illicit arrangement rather than a campaign of persecution.

“He has for decades bribed governments. It’s not that he is being victimised, that’s why he has never been charged before… Why didn’t he end up in being arrested before? It’s because of bribery and corruption. Nothing else.” — Glenn Hanoman, Special Prosecutor

Defense Pushback: ‘Unsubstantiated, Inflammatory Prejudicial Claims’

Attorneys representing the Opposition Leader, led by Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, pushed back against Hanoman’s statements, arguing that the prosecution was introducing unsubstantiated rhetoric to prejudice the court:

• Absence of Evidential Backing: The defense stressed that the prosecution offered no documentary proof, formal charges, or historical convictions for bribery, fraud, or official corruption against Mohamed or his family.
• Presumption of Innocence: Counsel reminded the bench that Mohamed has never been convicted of corruption offenses, warning that introducing unproven allegations violates due process protections.
• Constitutional Expression: Defense attorneys maintained that Mohamed’s participation in public assemblies and demonstrations represents the lawful exercise of protected constitutional rights, not criminal conduct or subversion.

Unanswered Questions and Looming Indictments

The prosecutor’s statements outside the courtroom that additional cybercrime and murder charges may be filed against Mohamed introduce new dimensions to the legal proceedings:

• Identity of Corrupted Officials: Hanoman’s claim that successive governments accepted bribes raises unresolved questions: Which political, administrative, or police officials across previous regimes took payoffs, and what investigative files were altered or halted?
• Active Detention Calendar: Mohamed remains in custodial remand at the Lusignan Prison under a separate committal order issued on October 30 by Magistrate Abigail Gibbs at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court, concerning the alleged unauthorized dissemination of Police Command Centre CCTV files.
• Parallel Legal Tracks: The High Court is scheduled to hear defense bail applications and motions regarding detention conditions, while the substantive extradition proceedings before Chief Magistrate Latchman continue.