Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, S.C., has expressed frustration over the pace of the extradition proceedings involving Nazar Mohamed and Azruddin Mohamed, saying the matter is being unnecessarily prolonged in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
During his weekly programme ‘Issues In The News,’ Nandlall said the case continues to drag on while the court’s time and resources are being used to explore arguments he believes have already been settled by Guyana’s higher courts.
“Unfortunately, we still have the matter in the magistrate’s court. And in my view, the matter is languishing there, unfortunately and unnecessarily,” he said.
His remarks come as the extradition hearing continues before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, with the defence challenging aspects of the handling and receipt of documents linked to the United States’ extradition request.
Nandlall criticised what he described as efforts over the past several days to suggest that the extradition request did not originate from the United States, but was instead created by local authorities.
He said valuable time, energy, and judicial resources were being spent trying to prove that the documents were manufactured by either the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Attorney General dismissed that line of argument as unreasonable, pointing out that both the High Court and the Court of Appeal have already recognised that the extradition request came from the United States.
He further noted that, in sworn affidavits filed in related court proceedings, the Mohameds themselves acknowledged that they were challenging an extradition process initiated by a request from US authorities to the Government of Guyana.
Nandlall’s comments followed testimony on Tuesday from Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, who told the court that the ministry had, in fact, received and recorded the extradition documents.
Under cross-examination by defence attorney Roysdale Forde, Roopchand-Edwards pointed to entries in the ministry’s incoming correspondence books showing that one set of documents was received on October 30, 2025, and another on November 26, 2025.
She confirmed that the records referenced the United States Embassy and identified the materials as extradition documents.
However, she also acknowledged that there were no courier signatures or staff signatures confirming delivery, and no written notation showing whether certifications or affidavits accompanied the bundles.
The defence has been using those gaps to question the procedure followed in receiving and recording the documents, arguing that such irregularities could affect the integrity of the proceedings.
But the prosecution has rejected that position.
Prosecuting attorney Glenn Hanoman told reporters earlier this week that it was a “highly strange” argument for the defence to claim that the documents were never received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, particularly since the same documents are now before the court.
Nandlall maintained that too much attention is being given to an issue that has already been overtaken by findings in the higher courts, while the substantive extradition matter remains before the magistrate.
The extradition case against Nazar Mohamed and Azruddin Mohamed arises from charges filed in the Southern District of Florida, where they face allegations of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.
Proceedings are continuing before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman.
