Attorney General defends use of ‘fugitive offender’ label in Mohammed’s extradition case

The Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, has defended his characterisation of businessman Azruddin Mohamed as a “fugitive offender,” arguing that the description is firmly grounded in Guyana’s extradition laws and is not a matter of personal interpretation.

In a letter to the editor published in the December 15, 2025 edition of Stabroek News, Nandlall responded to public criticism from Surujdai Juglall, who questioned the Attorney General’s use of the term in reference to Mohamed, one of the principals of Mohamed’s Enterprise.

Nandlall explained that his description was based squarely on the Fugitive Offenders Act, Cap. 10:04, as amended in 2024. He quoted directly from Section 2 of the legislation, which defines a fugitive offender as a person accused of, or unlawfully at large after conviction for, an extraditable offence committed in Guyana or another jurisdiction, and who is suspected of being outside the territory where the offence was committed or the conviction occurred.

According to the Attorney General, this statutory definition applies to Mohamed’s circumstances and is therefore the correct legal term. He added that the criticism reflected a broader misunderstanding of the phrase and said his intervention was intended to clarify the law for the public. Nandlall expressed hope that his explanation would bring the matter to a close.

Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, are currently before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts in extradition proceedings arising from a request by the United States authorities. Both men are on $150,000 bail, have surrendered their passports, and are required to report weekly to the Ruimveldt Police Station pending the outcome of the proceedings.

Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman is scheduled to begin hearing evidence in the extradition committal proceedings on January 6 and 7, 2026.

The Mohameds were arrested on October 31, 2025, following a formal request from the United States. They face 11 criminal charges in the US Southern District of Florida, including allegations of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, and customs violations. The charges are linked to an alleged US$50 million gold export and tax evasion scheme.

In June 2024, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on both men, citing alleged gold smuggling and public corruption. The US investigation, which dates back to the mid-2010s, involved several federal agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security.