The extradition hearing of billionaire businessmen Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin Mohamed resumed today in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, drawing attention as Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman reprimanded Special Prosecutor Herbert McKenzie for his comments regarding the duration of the case.
During the hearing, McKenzie objected to a second application by the defense team to submit contracts signed between the Government of Guyana and two U.S. lobbying firms as evidence. His remarks about the case’s ongoing nature did not sit well with Magistrate Latchman, who emphasized that the pursuit of justice should not be compromised by the desire for expediency.
“The length of the case is the length of the case. It should never be sacrificed at the altar of speed,” Magistrate Latchman stated firmly.
In response to McKenzie’s interjection, Latchman dismissed the need for him to remind the court of the case’s timeline, stating, “You need to stop fishing for that line… I do not need to be reminded about the length of time. It is unnecessary for you to remind the Court about the time.”
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has previously expressed concerns about the pace of the committal proceedings, noting that while several related cases in the High Court have concluded, the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court proceedings have dragged on for months.
The prosecutors view the defense’s request for the contracts as a possible delaying tactic. Prosecuting Attorney Glenn Hanoman insisted that all necessary disclosures had been made to the defense, criticizing their lack of initiative in obtaining the documents earlier.
“…if they wanted to receive certain documents, it was open to them months ago to try and get the documents in the ordinary course of things,” Hanoman said, asserting that the timing of the request indicates attempts to obstruct the process.
Defense Attorney Siand Dhurjon, however, argued that disclosing the contracts could demonstrate that the extradition request was politically motivated. He cited that the Government of Guyana had allegedly paid substantial amounts to lobbyists to portray the Mohameds negatively to U.S. authorities.
Magistrate Latchman ultimately denied the application to disclose the contracts, allowing further cross-examination of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sharon Roopchand. Dhurjon completed his questioning later in the session, but Roopchand faced additional queries from Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, representing Azruddin Mohamed.
Special Prosecutor Hanoman expressed cautious optimism about the proceedings, stating, “The matter seems to be moving at pace… we are moving.”
He did caution that it remains uncertain how much longer the case will take, with plans to call at least two more witnesses. The hearing is set to continue tomorrow.
