FLASHBACK – Guyanese businessman Azruddin Mohamed arrives at his swearing in to parliament on Nov. 3rd.
By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Mon. Nov. 10, 2025: The extradition proceedings against Guyanese billionaire businessman Nazar Mohamed and his son, opposition MP Azruddin Mohamed of the We Invest In Nationhood party, have been adjourned to November 24, following a brief hearing before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday.
The high-profile case, presided over by Magistrate Judy Latchman, continues to draw national and international attention as the United States seeks to extradite the pair on multiple financial crime charges.
During Monday’s session, several key documents were submitted to the court, including a diplomatic note, an authenticated declaration from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and arrest warrants for both men. These form part of the formal extradition package submitted by the U.S. government, which has accused the Mohameds of orchestrating a US$50 million gold export and tax evasion scheme.
Background to the Case
On October 30, 2025, the United States formally requested the extradition of the 73-year-old Nazar Mohamed and his 38-year-old son and now MP in the Guyana parliament, following a Southern District of Florida Grand Jury indictment unsealed on October 6, 2025.
The indictment alleges that the Mohameds engaged in wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and customs-related violations, all linked to the alleged multimillion-dollar gold and tax evasion operation.
During the earlier bail hearings, the U.S.-hired legal team claimed the Mohameds were part of an “international criminal enterprise” with connections reaching “high offices in Venezuela” and business networks extending “through the United States to the Middle East.”
Defense Dismisses International Links
Outside court on Monday, attorney Roysdale Forde, representing the Mohameds, dismissed the U.S. claims outright, saying there was “absolutely none”—no evidence—linking his clients to Venezuela or the Middle East.
“Absolutely none! Absolutely none!” Forde emphasized, when asked whether U.S. prosecutors had provided any documentation tying the Mohameds to foreign governments or networks.
He added that while the U.S. had submitted an extensive set of diplomatic and evidentiary documents, the defense team would demand full disclosure of “all materials in the prosecution’s possession related to the matter.”
U.S. Legal Team Confirms Standard Disclosures
Attorney Terrence Williams, a member of the U.S. legal delegation, confirmed that standard disclosures were completed Monday morning. He noted that the case had been adjourned for further case management, in preparation for the committal proceedings scheduled for later this month.
“The regular diplomatic and case evidence documents were handed over to the defense team,” Williams said.
Political Implications in Guyana
The extradition hearing comes as Azruddin Mohamed’s We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party gains prominence following Guyana’s September 1, 2025, general elections, in which WIN secured 16 parliamentary seats, the second-highest tally in the National Assembly.
Azruddin, who has been serving as party leader, is widely expected to be elected Leader of the Opposition once House Speaker Manzoor Nadir convenes the first post-election meeting of opposition parliamentarians.
Outside the courthouse Monday, a group of WIN supporters gathered in solidarity, chanting and waving banners in support of Mohamed’s leadership.
Despite the legal cloud surrounding him, Azruddin Mohamed’s growing political influence and the scale of the alleged U.S. financial crimes have positioned the case as one of the most closely watched in recent Caribbean history.
The proceedings will resume on November 24th, when the Georgetown court is expected to address the committal stage and determine whether the Mohameds will be extradited to face trial in the United States.
GRA
The case comes on the heels of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) last week withdrawing and discontinuing tax-related charges against the Mohameds.
No reasons were given for the decision of the GRA to withdraw the charges against the Mohameds and Mohamed’s Enterprise.
The two had appeared before Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, but when the matter was called, the GRA informed the court that it would no longer be pursuing the case.
The case stemmed from what the GRA had earlier indicated was an extensive audit of the company’s gold export records and financial statements.
The GRA had conducted a review of Income and Property Tax returns for Years of Assessment 2020 to 2024 (income years 2019–2023) and alleged that the Mohameds, trading as Mohamed’s Enterprise, failed to submit true and correct returns.
It said that the underreporting resulted in GUY$34.07 billion (One Guyana dollar=US$0.008 cents) in understated income tax, with total amounts due, including accrued interest and other sums, calculated at GUY$191.17 billion.
The GRA had alleged that that Nazar Mohamed, 73, had filed an incorrect tax return reporting GUY$66,768,646 in liability on gold exports, thereby understating his taxable amount by nearly GUY$4.94 billion, in violation of the Income Tax Act.
The GRA had charged that Mohamed filed an incorrect tax return reporting GUY$127,212,785 in liability on gold exports, understating his taxable amount by approximately $6.96 billion, in breach of the Income Tax Act.
The Revenue Authority had also alleged that his son, had reported a tax liability of GUY$105,483,295 on gold exports, understating his true taxable obligation by over GUY$7.03 billion, contrary to the Income Tax Act.
