“Routine, Not a Victory”: Attorney General Nandlall Dismisses “Hysteria” Over CCJ Extradition Stay
By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, is calling for a “reality check” following the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) decision to stay the extradition proceedings of Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed.
In a blunt response to what he described as “irresponsible and misleading commentary,” Nandlall characterized the stay not as a legal win for the businessmen, but as a standard procedural “conservatory measure” designed to preserve the status quo while the court deliberates.
A “Standard Practice” for Final Courts
Speaking after Wednesday’s Case Management Conference (CMC), the Attorney General explained that the CCJ’s intervention is exactly what any final appellate court does when a high-stakes matter reaches its doorstep.
- Confidence in the Bench: Nandlall noted that for the CCJ to maintain the confidence of all parties, it must ensure the subject of an appeal (in this case, the Mohameds) isn’t extradited before the judges have even had a chance to hear the arguments.
- Status Quo: The stay simply “pauses the clock” to prevent the appeal from becoming moot. It is not, he insisted, an indication of the strength of the Mohameds’ case.
“No Realistic Prospect of Success”
Despite the stay, the Government of Guyana remains “firmly of the view” that the Mohameds’ legal challenge against the Authority to Proceed (ATP) is destined to fail.
“We necessarily have to oppose the application for the stay… because we are of the firm view that the appeal will not succeed and has no likelihood of success.” — Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC
Nandlall framed the ongoing legal maneuvers as a “calculated and relentless campaign” by the Mohamed family to delay their day in court in the United States. He emphasized that the state intends to “fight vigorously” when the substantive hearing begins in April.
The CCJ’s “Aggressive” Timeline
Nandlall highlighted that the CCJ itself seemed wary of unnecessary delays. He pointed to several “significant” signals sent by the three-judge panel during the CMC:
- Public Interest: The court explicitly stated that the public interest must be weighed in all its decision-making.
- Extradition Peculiarity: The CCJ acknowledged that extradition cases are a “peculiar type of proceeding” that must be treated with unique dispatch.
- Strict Deadlines: The court issued an “aggressive list of directions,” setting tight deadlines for written submissions and even pre-allocating speaking times for lawyers to avoid wasted time.
A Signal to the Lower Courts
The Attorney General expressed hope that the CCJ’s sense of urgency would trickle down to the local judiciary. He noted that by fixing the substantive hearing for April 21, 2026, the CCJ is setting a pace that he expects every level of the Guyanese judicial ladder to match.
What’s Next in the Mohamed Case?
| Date | Milestone |
| April 2, 2026 | Government must file affidavits in opposition to the stay/leave. |
| April 10, 2026 | Deadline for both sides to submit final written arguments. |
| April 21, 2026 | Substantive CCJ Hearing (9:00 AM). |
The “Main Event” Awaits
For the Attorney General, the current stay is merely the “undercard.” The real battle, he suggests, will take place on April 21st, when the State will argue that the Minister of Home Affairs acted legally and that the extradition process should resume immediately. Until then, he urges the public to ignore the “victory” claims and wait for the final verdict.
