Acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh has denied a request for a stay in the extradition proceedings involving United States-indicted businessmen Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed. The father and son duo sought to block their extradition to the U.S. to face charges of money laundering, tax evasion, wire fraud, and other offenses in a Miami court.
The Fixed Date Application (FDA) filed by the Mohameds challenges the constitutionality of the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Act. Respondents in the proceedings include Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, and Magistrate Judy Latchman.
With the denial of the stay, the extradition hearing is slated to begin tomorrow before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. The High Court will reconvene on January 14, 2026, to address the substantive application, which raises important constitutional questions.
The Mohameds, through their legal representatives, argue that the provisions of the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Act—specifically the Authority to Proceed (ATP) that initiated their extradition—are unconstitutional and consequently null. They seek a writ of certiorari to stop the authority to proceed and request declarations that Ministers Walrond and Nandlall should not be involved in issuing the ATP. Additionally, they are asking for orders of prohibition to prevent the ministers from playing any further role in their extradition, as well as suspending the proceedings before Magistrate Latchman until the High Court resolves the matter.
This application follows the dismissal of a previous constitutional application by Magistrate Latchman, who ruled that the issues raised had already been adjudicated by Guyana’s higher courts and deemed the defense application as “frivolous and vexatious,” characterizing it as an abuse of process.
Since the stay application was denied, Magistrate Latchman confirmed that the extradition proceedings will move forward, with the hearing set to commence on January 6.
The U.S. government formally submitted the extradition request on October 30, 2025, under the Guyana–United Kingdom extradition treaty, which is still in effect according to Section 4(1)(a) of the Fugitive Offenders Act, Cap. 10:04, as amended by Act No. 10 of 2024.
