Last Updated on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, 21:04 by Writer
Now that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has ruled that there were no politically motivated grounds to quash the home affairs minister’s authorisation of a magistrate to conduct hearings for the extradition of two billionaire gold dealers, dates have been fixed for the resumption of the case next month, a top legal source said.
Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman has set September 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10 for all-day hearings of the extradition request by the United States (U.S.) for Azruddin Mohamed and his father Nazar “Shell’ Mohamed.
They are wanted by the U.S. to face trial for alleged wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering offences associated with their gold trading business.
They were once licensed gold exporters and foreign currency dealers until June 2024 when they were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for alleged tax evasion on Guyana gold exports.
Legal sources said Chief Magistrate Latchman sought an engagement with lawyers representing the U.S. and the Mohameds two days after the July 29 decision by the CCJ, but only Azruddin Mohamed and his lawyer, Siand Dhurjon appeared.
The senior Mohamed and his lawyers Roysdale Forde and Damien Da Silva were reportedly not in court.
Meanwhile, Demerara Waves Online News understands that Mr Dhurjon has since written to the Guyana Court of Appeal to fix a constitutional matter for hearing and a related stay of the extradition proceedings in the magistrates’ court until that case is heard and determined.
On the day of the CCJ ruling, the younger Mohamed, who become Guyana’s main Opposition Leader in last year’s general and regional elections, said more appeals would be filed to the Trinidad-based regional court.
“We still have more appeals to head to the CCJ. Almighty God has the final say in this matter,” he said then.
A government official would only say that the Mohameds’ lawyers’ reluctance to make themselves available during August because they would be on vacation amounted to “another effort to delay the proceedings.”
