Chief Magistrate ignores police press statement on Mohameds extradition hearing

Last Updated on Monday, 21 September 2026, 9:34 by Written By Denis Chabrol

Despite concerns by the defence team for city businessmen Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed in their United States (US) extradition hearing that a press statement on the proceedings amounted to the perversion of the court of justice, Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman on Monday said she was only dealing with evidence before the court.

“I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to prejudice my mind. I sequestered my mind a long time ago. Yes, I do not pay attention to any media. I do not pay attention to phones or screens. I concentrate on what is being said in this in the walls of these courtrooms from that witness box and no place else,” Ms Latchman said.

Prior to taking her iron-clad position, defence lawyer Siand Dhurjon told the court that he was concerned that the Guyana Police Force press statement issued on September 12, 2026 misquoted evidence, mischaracterised what was said, and sought impermissibly to prejudice not only the public’s opinion, but also the court’s opinion on what the Head of the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch, Senior Superintendent Prem Narine meant to say or should be saying. “He indulges that opportunity to confer, and in the interim, none other than his employer issues an institutional explanation, an institutional post justification, and misquotes mischaracterized evidence, and I don’t think any other description could be attributed to the press release of the police force, other than it being an attempt to pervert the course of justice,” the lawyer said.

Mr Dhurjon deemed the police press release inaccurate.

However, the Chief Magistrate said she does not pay attention to the media, videos and social media. She said she only focusses on the green papers, deposition forms and evidence from the witness box.  She rejected any attempt to show her the press statement. “Do not show me. Do not bring it to my attention. I don’t want to see the. I’ve not seen the content. I don’t want to see it. I don’t intend to see the content either,” the Chief Magistrate said.

The Mohameds’ defence team had hoped that the she would have reprimanded the Guyana Police Force for issuing the press statement on Mr Narine’s evidence in the ongoing extradition case.

The Mohameds, who were sanctioned in June 2024 by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for alleged tax evasion related to gold exports from Guyana, are also wanted to face trial in a Florida Federal Court for an 11-count Grand Jury indictment for alleged wire fraud, money laundering and mail fraud linked to their then registered gold trading business.

Testifying under oath on Thursday, September 10, Mr Narine stated that the notes were burnt “near a furnace”.

“There is an area in Special Branch compound next to a furnace, which is condemned but we use the area immediately close to that furnace where I placed the shredded document I mentioned, along with others, and I light them. I can’t recall if it was a lighter or match and I light them afire,” Mr Narine said.

However, in what was described as a clarification, the police force on Friday said “those notes had been disposed of in the official incinerator at Special Branch…”

That appears to be a stark difference from Mr Narine’s testimony. In the GPF’s clarification of reports in sections of the media concerning the destruction of documents referenced during testimony in the ongoing committal proceedings involving the Mohameds, that  law enforcement agency said, “in response to questions from the defence concerning personal working notes used in preparing his statement, Senior Superintendent Narine testified that those notes had been disposed of in the official incinerator at Special Branch in keeping with established procedures for the disposal of sensitive working documents that were no longer required.”