By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — A startling disclosure unfolded in the extradition proceedings against prominent businessman Nazar Mohamed and his son, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, as the Head of the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch admitted under oath that he shredded and incinerated a personal notebook containing operational details connected to their arrest—including an unlogged private meeting with a United States Marshal.
The revelation emerged during a high-stakes cross-examination before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, sparking accusations of spoliation of evidence and political interference from the defence team.
Notebook Shredded and Burned at Special Branch Compound
Under cross-examination by Defence Attorney Siand Dhurjon, Senior Superintendent and Special Branch Head Prem Narine testified that he personally destroyed notes documenting critical events surrounding the October 31, 2025 arrests of both Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed:
- Unrecorded Meeting with US Marshal: Narine admitted that the notebook detailed a direct encounter between the detained Mohameds and an American US Marshal shortly after they were taken into state custody.
- Omission from Official Station Diary: While the official police station diary entered into court records indicates that the father and son were arrested at approximately 11:35 AM on October 31, it contains no record of their subsequent removal to a secondary location or their interaction with the US law enforcement agent.
- Incineration of Evidence: Narine conceded that the details existed solely within his personal notebook, which he shredded and burned in January at the Special Branch headquarters compound.
- The Secrets Act Defense: Defending the destruction, Narine rejected the defence’s assertion that he destroyed the primary operational log of the arrest, claiming statutory authority under the Official Secrets Act to destroy documents he classified as state secrets.
- Witness to the Encounter: The Senior Superintendent acknowledged being physically present in the room during the encounter between the Mohameds and the US Marshal, though he claimed he could not distinctly hear the contents of the conversation.
Defence Claims Political Interference; Prosecution Objects
The revelation ignited heated arguments between the opposing legal teams regarding the integrity and neutrality of the extradition process:
- Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde: Seizing on Narine’s admissions, Senior Counsel Forde submitted that the clandestine destruction of arrest notes and the covert facilitation of foreign marshals reinforce the defence’s core submission that the entire extradition request is politically driven and marred by state-level abuse of process.
- Special Prosecutor Glen Hanoman: Pushing back forcefully against the line of questioning, Special Prosecutor Hanoman contended that the defence’s grilling of Narine ranged far beyond his limited capacity as a formal state witness, accusing the defence of staging political theatre.
Chief Magistrate Latchman: “This Court Will Control Its Own Pace”
Addressing the courtroom friction and pushing back against external momentum to rush the proceedings, Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman delivered a sharp rebuke to all parties, warning against attempts to manipulate or hasten the magisterial inquiry:
“This Court will not be controlled by any mortal within inside of this Court or outside of this Court. The Court will never be controlled by any mortal being, only by divine intervention. This Court will control its own pace.”
Extradition proceedings for Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed are scheduled to continue on Monday before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
