US-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed shows “utter disregard” for court orders – AG

…turns legal obligation into a wheelbarrow spectacle

Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has sparked outrage with a public display that Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall described as “utter disrespect, utter contempt, and utter disregard” for the orders of the courts of Guyana.
In an episode that Nandlall said mocked the legal system, Mohamed; his sister, Hana Mohamed; and his party’s General Secretary (GS), Odessa Primus, arrived at the Attorney General’s Chambers on Thursday with two wheelbarrows of money. One contained bills in small denominations, while the other held a large volume of coins and what appeared to be small bricks. They claimed the items were intended to settle a $1 million court-ordered payment.
The payment related to a February ruling by Acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh, who awarded $500,000 in costs each to the attorney general, Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond, and Magistrate Judy Latchman. These sums were to be paid by February 27, 2026. The Mohameds, however, failed to meet this deadline.

In response to the missed payment, the AG had written to the defence lawyer for the Mohameds, Roysdale Ford, requesting that the sums awarded in favour of the Attorney General and the Home Affairs Minister be paid forthwith, but no response was received. Nandlall later reported on his weekly programme, “Issues in the News”, that steps would be taken to enforce the court order.
Addressing the incident, Nandlall said, “All the Attorney General has done is attempt to ensure compliance with that court order. That is part of the rule of law in our country. And here it is, not an ordinary citizen, but a person who unfortunately became the opposition leader of this country, attempting to make a mockery and poke fun at the administration of justice in this country, attempting to ridicule the sanctity and importance of an order of court, a foundational pillar of the rule of law and the administration of justice.”
The AG stressed that Mohamed’s behaviour demonstrates his unfitness to hold high office. “Those who may not have believed me have seen for themselves a live demonstration of the crassness, the lack of appreciation, the lack of maturity, and the lack of sobriety, all of which are evident in the conduct and behaviour of a person who holds the high office of the Leader of the Opposition of this country,” Nandlall said.
Describing Mohamed as “a child in a big man’s body”, Nandlall said he does not understand the magnitude of his responsibilities. “He is here in some type of egotistical drive to show, I don’t know who, that he will make the Government look foolish, that he will embarrass the Government. He doesn’t have the intellectual capabilities. He doesn’t have the maturity. He doesn’t have the mental acumen to appreciate that what he is doing is destroying the legal fabric of this country and striking at the heart of the administration of justice.”
The AG emphasised that Mohamed’s actions are not about politics but about the integrity of the legal system, which protects all citizens regardless of political affiliation. “If there is one system that protects all of us and protects the dignity and civility of this country, it is the legal system of our country. And you have the Leader of the Opposition making a mockery of the system and thinking in his peculiar mind that he’s doing something good. And he has a sister who doesn’t know better… I hope their father is proud of this display on the eve of Eid.”
Nandlall also explained the laws governing the use of coins and bills in Guyana. Legal tender coins shall be accepted in settlement of any public or private debt or monetary obligation only up to certain limits: $100 for coins of denomination $1, $250 for coins of denomination $5, and $500 for coins of denomination $10. “Unfortunately, Mr Mohamed will have to return home with the barrow of coins that he has brought,” the Attorney General said.
The AG underscored that Mohamed’s actions were intentional and a clear demonstration of a lack of basic intellectual capability and maturity. “He doesn’t have the mental acumen to appreciate that what he is doing is destroying the legal fabric of this country and striking at the heart of the administration of justice. This is not about politics. If there is one system that protects all of us and protects the dignity and civility of this country, it is the legal system,” Nandlall stated.

Attempted to disrespect the law
Reflecting on past attempts to mock the law, Nandlall said, “I have seen many who have attempted to disrespect the law. I have seen many who have attempted to mock the law. I have seen many who have attempted to trample upon the constitution and upon the rule of law in this country… And I have seen how the law has destroyed each and every one of them and put them in the place where they should be. The arms of the law are long. The processes may be slow. But one thing I can promise you: the law will be applied, and those whom the law calls upon to account will be held to account, either in Guyana or in whichever country the law requires them to be. So those who think that they can continue to mock at the law, mock at court orders, trample upon the rule of law, disrespect the judiciary, and disrespect our judges’ orders are free to do so at their own peril.”
The AG noted that Mohamed’s actions ultimately backfired. The episode caused public servants to remain on duty until around 17:30h to process the payment, despite many having long distances to travel home. The full sum of $1 million was not paid, and Mohamed is expected to return to settle the outstanding balance. “This was an unnecessary spectacle,” Nandlall said.

US sanction, indictment
Azruddin and his father, Nazar Mohamed, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on 11 criminal charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering. The charges are related to alleged irregularities in gold exports to the US through their company, Mohamed’s Enterprises.
The US has requested the extradition of the Mohameds to face the indictments.
In the indictments filed in October 2025 at a federal court in Florida against Nazar Mohamed, 72, and Azruddin Mohamed, 39, American prosecutors alleged that the two men were involved in a long-running operation involving the export of gold in a manner designed to avoid paying taxes and royalties owed to the Government of Guyana.
Prosecutors allege that from 2017 to 2024, official Government seals taken from a single legitimate gold shipment were reused to validate several additional shipments. United States authorities estimate that the alleged scheme resulted in approximately US$50 million in lost revenue for the Guyanese state.
Nazar Mohamed is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and mail fraud. Azruddin Mohamed faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud and is also accused of avoiding more than US$1 million in taxes linked to the importation of a Lamborghini from Miami to Guyana.
The extradition proceedings against the father-and-son duo, who were also sanctioned by the US Government in June 2024, are ongoing in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, with the next hearing set for March 24.