Extradition of US-indicted Mohameds: Guyana obligated to pay legal fees under extradition treaty – AG

…reminds that US Govt bore legal costs when Guyana sought extradition of persons from US

Attorney General (AG) and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, on Monday clarified that the Government of Guyana is legally obligated to finance the prosecution of the ongoing extradition proceedings against United States (US)-sanctioned and indicted businessman Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, stressing that such financial responsibility rests with the state from which extradition is being sought. Speaking during a live video interview, Nandlall said it is standard international practice for the requested state to cover the costs of legal representation in extradition matters. Nandlall said the administration’s decision to pay for the attorneys prosecuting the US extradition request follows the same international protocol that would apply if Guyana were seeking to have a fugitive returned from another country. Reminding that in the case of Guyana’s extradition request for murder accused Vishnu Bisram it was the US Government that paid for prosecution in that extradition. “In the Vishnu Bisram case, the US Government provided legal services, paid for those services, and then sent him back here,” he recalled. “That is the reciprocal responsibility and arrangement. That’s what reciprocity means, you do for me and I do for you. I don’t know how much I have to explain these things. The Government of Guyana is paying — that is our duty under extradition law.”

Not political, reciprocity
Nandlall emphasised that the Mohamed family’s claims of political persecution are misplaced and misleading. “In extradition proceedings, the request comes from a foreign state — in this case, the United States Government,” Nandlall explained.
“The lawyers prosecuting this request are representing the interests of the United States Government. In international extradition law and practice, the country to whom the request is made discharges the obligation of providing that legal representation. Obviously, this is done with the approval of the requesting state.”
The AG pointed to previous examples to illustrate the principle of reciprocity that governs such international cooperation. “The Government of Guyana will pay for all the legitimate and legal expenses incurred. That is the duty of the Government. We will do what is required of us,” he affirmed. He stressed that the extradition of the Mohameds is a US-driven process, not a politically motivated local prosecution as claimed by Azruddin Mohamed, who is also a Member of Parliament (MP).
“It is the Americans that are extraditing them, not Guyana. This is an American extradition request. If there’s any political prosecution, it is the Americans he has to accuse, not the Government of Guyana. We are simply facilitating a process and carrying out our duties under the law and our treaty obligations with the United States. He is making this a spectacle,” Nandlall noted. “The only person who is bringing politics into this case is Azruddin Mohamed and his family. In fact, I believe that they entered into politics in anticipation of this extradition request coming so that they can have at their disposal this plea of politicisation.”
Nandlall reminded that it was Azruddin Mohamed who got involved in politics after he was already being investigated by the US.
“Which process started first? his political career or the investigation of these charges. The investigation of these charges started in 2017. The charges from which this extradition proceeding span from 2017 to 2024. Was Azrudin Mohamed involved in politics in that time?” Nandlall questioned.

Protecting the interests of Guyana
“The Government of Guyana has made it very clear that we have to protect the interest of Guyana, and we will ensure that the sanctions are observed, and we knew and they knew that the sanctions were not the end that it was just the beginning. That additional processes were coming, and I believe in anticipation of that they entered into politics, and now they are contriving politics as a façade. To say that it is political.” Nandlall also addressed concerns over the withdrawal of a local court case involving Mohamed’s alleged falsified declaration in relation to a Lamborghini import. He explained that the decision was necessary to avoid double jeopardy, as Guyana must clear the way for the ongoing US-requested extradition proceedings.
He emphasised that Guyana’s actions are rooted in its international legal obligations and the need to safeguard the credibility of its gold-exporting industry, which is at the centre of the alleged transnational financial crimes. “We are a gold exporter. We have to protect our own industry,” Nandlall said. “When you use the gold-exporting system to commit a transnational offence, they [Mohameds] know the implications it can have on Guyana’s ability to export gold if appropriate action is not taken by the Government of Guyana in compliance with our international obligations.”

Rejected
The AG further rejected allegations that the prosecution team was unprepared or politically influenced, insisting that all necessary documents from the US were duly disclosed and that the court proceedings are being conducted in accordance with due process. The extradition case resumed Monday before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where the prosecution tendered several authenticated documents, including a diplomatic note, a declaration from the US Secretary of State, and arrest warrants for both Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed. The matter has been adjourned to November 24, 2025, while both men remain on $150,000 bail each as the extradition process continues.