Attorney General Anil Nandlall has expressed ongoing concerns regarding delays in the extradition proceedings against U.S.-indicted businessmen Azruddin Mohamed and Nazar Mohamed. He highlighted that four months have passed since the United States formally requested their surrender, yet the matter remains unresolved in the Magistrate’s Court.
The U.S. extradition request was transmitted in late October 2025, following indictments issued in the Southern District of Florida. The Mohameds were arrested and brought before a magistrate, where committal proceedings began under Guyana’s Fugitive Offenders Act. Since then, the case has faced multiple legal challenges in the High Court.
The Mohameds initially filed a judicial review to challenge aspects of the extradition process; however, this application was dismissed and is currently under appeal. They also launched a constitutional challenge to amendments in the Fugitive Offenders Act, targeting several specific sections.
On Monday, Chief Justice (ag) Navindra Singh ruled that three of the four contested provisions are constitutional. While Section 8(3)(B)(b) was deemed inconsistent with the Constitution, Sections 8(3)(A)(a), 8(3)(A)(b), and 8(3)(B)(c) were upheld.
Following the ruling, Nandlall noted that it effectively allows the magistrate’s proceedings to continue. He criticized the delays in the committal hearing, attributing them to what he described as “deliberate strategies” to prolong the process. Nandlall pointed out that extensive cross-examinations and questions raised during the hearings fall outside the limited scope of extradition hearings.
Under the Fugitive Offenders Act, the magistrate’s role is primarily to examine documents from the requesting state, including indictments and supporting evidence, to determine if legal requirements for committal are met. He emphasized that extradition proceedings are not trials and should not delve into broader inquiries beyond the statutory framework.
Nandlall contrasted this case with that of Guyanese national Ronley Floyd Bynoe, who recently appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty and was remanded pending extradition to the U.S. for charges including misuse of a Social Security number and bank fraud. Bynoe did not contest the extradition request, which exemplified how such proceedings are typically conducted.
With the constitutional challenge largely dismissed and the judicial review removed from consideration, the extradition process against the Mohameds remains active. The committal hearing is scheduled to continue on Thursday, and unless halted by a successful appeal, the magistrate will decide whether the Mohameds should be committed for surrender to the United States.
