–WIN MP says no talks being held to replace leaders, even as legal challenges unfold

THE We Invest in Nationhood party has signalled that it has no intention of replacing its embattled leader, Azurddin Mohamed, should he be extradited to the United States of America to answer to his alleged involvement in transnational crimes.

Responding to questions from the Guyana Chronicle at a press conference on Friday, WIN Member of Parliament Tabitha Sarabo-Halley said that Mohamed will remain the party’s leader, even as an extradition case against him and his father, Nazar Mohamed unfolds at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

“The extradition of our leader is in the courts, and we are waiting to see where that goes. We have had no conversations of anybody else. We have one leader, and he remains the leader until such time changes,” Sarabo-Haley said after being questioned if the party has a candidate to fill the post in the event of the younger Mohamed’s extradition to the United States.

The extradition hearing for the Mohameds has been scheduled for January 6, 2026, and until such time, Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed are required to continue reporting to the police, in keeping with the court’s previous orders.

Notably, Azurddin was absent from the party’s first official engagement with the local press since the September 1 General and Regional Elections.

Responding to questions on the party leader’s absence, Sarbo-Halley claimed that the younger Mohamed has not shied away from the local press, despite his previous public hostility to some sections of the local press.

“The media would know that the leader of the party is very accessible; he does not shy away from responding to questions. Every time he has to go to court, you see him; you ask him questions. We thought that today, other MPs would have the ability to come to the fore and share their views, so you get to see more members of the party, “she said, offering an explanation as to the party leader’s absence.

On Wednesday, Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman delivered an extensive ruling in the ongoing extradition proceedings involving embattled businessmen Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed.

She denied their application to refer several constitutional questions to the High Court, and affirmed that the substantive matter will continue before her, in accordance with Guyana’s extradition laws and binding judicial precedent, on January 6 and 7, 2026.

The Mohameds, owners of Mohamed’s Enterprise, remain on $150,000 bail each, have surrendered their passports, and must report weekly to the Ruimveldt Police Station as the extradition proceedings continue. They were taken into custody on October 31 following a US request for their extradition.

US prosecutors have accused the father and son of running an international criminal network with alleged links to high offices in Venezuela and the Middle East.

The pair face 11 criminal counts in the U.S. Southern District of Florida involving alleged wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, and customs violations tied to what authorities describe as a US$50 million gold export and tax evasion scheme.

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned both men in June 2024 for alleged gold smuggling and public corruption.

The U.S. investigation dates back to the mid-2010s and involved multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Department of Homeland Security.