Last Updated on Monday, 7 September 2026, 13:32 by Writer
The defence team on Monday sought to establish to Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman that the United States’ (US) extradition request for billionaire city businessmen Azruddin Mohamed and his father Nazar “Shell” Mohamed is politically motivated for the men to face trial for alleged wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering associated with their once thriving gold trading business.
Head of the Guyana Police Force’s intelligence arm, the Special Branch, Prem Narine on Monday admitted that his department is not responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes, but told the hearing into the extradition of the Mohameds that he could not recall who instructed him to get involved in the extradition process.
Both the defence and the prosecution were Monday afternoon to provide legal authorities on extradition issues such as prohibition against re-extradition to a third state, and use of extradition as a tool against political dissidents, or a tool for discrimination, be it on race, sex, and opinion, political or otherwise.
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Siand Dhurjon to establish that the extradition process was politically motivated by the Guyana government, Mr Narine denied that he was instructed by President Irfaan Ali to get involved in the matter.
“Definitely not, because an instruction from the president is a privilege and something that I would remember,” he said.
Pressed on whether that was the case, Mr Narine said a police officer was not obliged to take an illegal instruction.
After Mr Dhurjon put to Mr Narine that under the rules governing the Special Branch, except as laid down in paragraph four of the Special Branch Act, the spy unit will not be charged with investigation and prosecution of crimes.
“Any evidence which comes in the notice of Special Branch of the commission of any crime will be handed over to CID (Criminal Investigations Department) headquarters, or to the senior officer of the division,” Mr Narine said.
While Mr Narine consistently maintained that “I could not recall who gave me that instruction” on filing of the extradition papers with the court on October 31, 2025, he admitted that he was instructed to do so.
He specifically could not recall whether the police commissioner, crime chief or commander instructed him to take action in the matter.
On the question about whether he was instructed to arrest the Mohameds on October 31, he said the “warrant was an instruction.”
At the same time, he recalled being given a “general instruction and as the events unfold I took the necessary actions to follow”.
In earlier testimony, the ‘spy chief said he had collected the extradition warrants from the Attorney General’s chambers.
However, he told the court that he did not know who prepared them and how the documents ended up at that location.
Mr Narine cited a video by President Irfaan Ali in July, 2025 in which he had stated that Mr Dhurjon had asked him (Mr Narine) whether he was aware that the President had deemed Azruddin Mohamed a threat to national security and sovereignty.
In response, he said, he was not aware of that.
“I am not aware of the president’s statement, but what I’m aware of is that Azruddin Mohamed, based on my information, is a threat to society.”
Under further cross-examination, Mr Narine said as of today, he is a national security threat.
“Standing here now, the information I have, I would consider him a threat to national security,” the spy chief said.
The Head of the Special Branch denied that he was not being fully factual in his account to the court.
Mr Dhurjon:
“I’m putting to you that your memory is rather selective today, and you’re not being honest with this court.”
Mr Narine: “That is not true”.
