GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, said Monday that Guyana’s payment of legal fees for the foreign lawyers representing the United States in the extradition proceedings of Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed is consistent with international practice and reciprocal treaty obligations.
Nandlall explained that under global extradition norms, the country receiving an extradition request is responsible for providing legal representation to prosecute the case on behalf of the requesting state — in this instance, the United States — with the lawyers selected and approved by that state.
“This is not unusual or irregular,” Nandlall said during an interview on the state-run National Communications Network. “Across the Caribbean and the Commonwealth, the responding state engages counsel to represent the requesting country’s interests. It’s a reciprocal practice — when Guyana requests extradition elsewhere, that government bears the same responsibility.”
He added that the arrangement was also designed to “insulate the proceedings from allegations of political interference,” noting that all counsel engaged were approved by the U.S. government and are not ordinarily resident in Guyana.
The attorney general’s comments followed the formal handover in court of an extensive “extradition bundle” from the U.S. government containing certified indictments, affidavits, and evidentiary materials relating to charges of tax evasion, fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy against the two businessmen. The documents, authenticated by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior officials of the Department of Justice, were submitted before Magistrate Judy Latchman and delivered to the defence.
Nandlall rejected claims that the prosecution was unprepared or politically motivated, calling such assertions “fabrications intended to mislead the public.” He said the disclosures were made as scheduled, and the defence requested additional time to review the materials, resulting in the next hearing being set for November 24.
He also dismissed suggestions by Azruddin Mohamed that the matter is politically driven, saying the underlying U.S. investigation predates the Mohameds’ involvement in politics. “These are transnational offences alleged to have been committed in the United States. The Government of Guyana has no role in their origin,” he stated.
The attorney general confirmed that local charges related to the importation of a luxury vehicle will be withdrawn to facilitate the extradition process, citing the need to avoid double jeopardy. “We are not foregoing the recovery of taxes,” he said. “But once an international extradition request is active, the local process must give way to the global one.”
He urged the public not to be misled by “political stunts” surrounding the proceedings. “This is a U.S. extradition request. Guyana is simply discharging its treaty obligations and upholding the rule of law,” Nandlall said.
The extradition proceedings are set to continue on November 28, when committal hearings are expected to begin.