THE court on Thursday allowed a statement from Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Hugh Hilton Todd, to be filed and served on the defence in the extradition proceedings involving United States-sanctioned businessmen Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed. The decision ultimately resulted in the matter being adjourned to February.
The ruling was made by Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after it emerged that the prosecution had made a late disclosure of the minister’s statement.
The prosecution, led by Jamaican King’s Counsel Terrence Williams and including Jamaican attorneys Herbert McKenzie and Celine Deidrick, along with Glenn Hanoman, informed the court that the minister’s statement had been emailed to both the court and the defence on Wednesday.
The Principal Magistrate confirmed that she had received the document, but defence attorneys initially told the court they were not in receipt of it.
After checking his email while in court, defence lawyer Siand Dhurjon confirmed that he had indeed received the email containing the minister’s statement.
When the matter was called, the prosecution sought to continue the evidence of Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, who had been called as the first witness when the committal hearing commenced on Tuesday. However, the proceedings took a turn when the late disclosure of Minister Todd’s statement was raised. Magistrate Latchman refused to allow the witness to proceed, citing the belated nature of the disclosure.
The magistrate made it clear that no further material would be allowed to be introduced after the minister’s statement.
The court granted the defence time to examine the newly disclosed statement, and as a result, the extradition proceedings were adjourned to February 5 and 6.
The magistrate had initially proposed January 20 as a continuation date, but some attorneys
indicated that the date was not convenient.
STATEMENT WILL PROVIDE CLARITY
The statement from Minister Todd is intended to address matters arising under section 6 of the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Act.
Lead prosecutor, King’s Counsel Terrence Williams, explained that the statement would be used to tender a certificate rather than calling the minister as a witness. He said the disclosure was made out of an abundance of caution and argued that the defence had cited no authorities to support the position that the prosecution requires leave of the court to disclose additional documents if an issue arises.
Williams further told the court that section 6 of the Act allows for a certificate issued by the minister responsible for foreign affairs, or by a person authorised by him, to be admitted as conclusive proof of the existence and terms of an extradition arrangement between Guyana and a foreign territory.
Under the section, such a certificate is admissible in evidence without proof of the minister’s signature, the signature of the authorised person, or the authorisation itself.
Specifically, section 6 states that a certificate confirming the existence of an arrangement made between the United Kingdom and the government of a foreign territory that extends to and remains in force in Guyana, or an arrangement made between the Government of Guyana and the government of any foreign territory, shall be admissible as conclusive proof of the matters stated therein.
Despite defending the late disclosure, Williams acknowledged that he could not guarantee there would be no further disclosure, noting that if the need arose, the prosecution is legally permitted to make additional disclosures. This position drew concern from the defence.
Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, objecting to the continuation of the matter, argued that fairness required the court to grant the defence an adjournment to properly peruse the document and determine their next course of action. Dhurjon went further and asked the court to order that disclosure in the matter be closed.
While allowing the minister’s statement to be filed and served on the defence, Magistrate Latchman ultimately sided with the defence on the issue of finality, ruling that no further disclosures would be permitted going forward.
The adjournment means that the continuation of the extradition proceedings against Nazar Mohamed and Azruddin Mohamed will resume in February, with the defence expected to review the minister’s statement and prepare for the next stage of the hearing.
Before the first witness was called on Tuesday, the prosecution was asked to outline the local equivalents of the offences for which the Mohameds are facing charges in the United States. Lead prosecutor Williams detailed the alleged offences.
Key diplomatic and extradition-related documents, including a United States diplomatic note and its accompanying materials, were tendered and admitted as exhibits in the committal proceedings on Tuesday.
BACKGROUND
The Mohameds—owners of Mohamed’s Enterprise—remain on $150,000 bail each, were ordered to surrender their passports, and must report weekly to the Ruimveldt Police Station as the extradition proceedings continue. They were taken into custody on October 31, 2025, following a U.S. request for their extradition.
U.S. 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.
