Bail for ‘Opposition Leader’, father …as U.S. extradition proceedings start

Nov 01, 2025 News

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(Kaieteur News) – Prominent businessmen Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed, on Friday, were granted bail in the sum of $150,000 each following their arrest, subsequent to an extradition request from the United States of America (US).

The duo appeared in person before acting Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman, in Court Seven at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court and was represented by a group of attorneys including Siand Dhurjon, Nigel Hughes and Senior Counsel (SC) Roysdale Forde.

The prosecution was represented by special prosecutors, Jamaicans Herbert McKenzie and Terrence Williams who objected to bail.

Williams in his argument, told the court that the gentlemen have been engaged in an international criminal enterprise, which includes tentacles reaching into Venezuela’s high offices, the United States of America and into the Middle East.

He also told the court that the businessmen, have been in contact with authorities in Venezuela, and with these contacts, they could flee to the neighbouring country and continue their unlawful enterprise.

“We have information, your honour that the Mohameds have supported the local criminal activities, which have disrupted the peace in Guyana. They have funded for example, the disruptions surrounding the unfortunate death of Younge…”

Williams also told the court that there are concerns that the duo could disrupt the peace of Guyana with the help of Venezuelan enterprises. This, along with his claims that they are a flight risk, was cited as some of the reasons they should not be granted bail.

Attorney Siand Dhurjon, responding to the prosecution, told the court that the allegations leveled against his clients are new and it was in fact the first time he was hearing about them.

He said no charges have been laid against his clients regarding any of the supposed disruptions, criminal activities, or criminal enterprises and despite his clients living a very public life, they have not been questioned by the police in relation to any of these matters.

Dhurjon noted that is it a fact the only entity that has ever spoken about a Venezuelan connection is the government, the vice president and their commentators.

He pointed out that the case before the courts was merely an effort to bar his client, the younger Mohamed, from entering the National Assembly as the opposition leader.

Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde in support of his colleague’s argument, pointed out that “a lot has been said about criminal enterprise and extending the tentacles in the Middle East, Venezuela and the United States contact to the Mohameds, the allegations that they can disrupt the peace in Guyana, Mr. Mohamed supporting local criminal enterprises funding, disruptions in relation to the death or Adrianna Younge and residing witnesses to testify. None of these have been supported by a single piece of evidence. It is silly, downright silly to raise this in a court of this nature when allegations against them in relation to these things that are being raised now as objections to bail would have existed for many months.”

After listening to the arguments of both sides, Magistrate Latchman granted bail in the sum of $150,000 each, with the condition that the men lodge their passports with the clerk of courts at the Georgetown Magistrates Court and report every Friday afternoon between 13:00hrs and 15:00hrs to the officer-in-charge at the Ruimveldt Police Station from November 7th. If the Friday is a holiday they report on Thursday. The next court date has been set for November 10, 2025.

Earlier this month, Mohamed and his father, were indicted in a U.S. federal court in Miami, Florida on 11 charges of wire and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury car – all stemming from accusations of massive tax fraud committed against Guyana.

The indictment, unsealed on October 2, 2025, accused the Mohameds of orchestrating an elaborate fraud and money-laundering scheme involving gold exports, customs fraud, bribery, and the evasion of millions in taxes and royalties owed to Guyana.

The case, captioned United States of America v. Nazar Mohamed & Azruddin Mohamed, is filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida under case number 25-CR-20441 (WILLIAMS/LETT). Among the statutes cited are: conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and related forfeiture statutes.

At the heart of the US Government’s case lie several core allegations, among them gold export fraud and customs seal reuse. The indictment seen by this newspaper charges that Mohamed’s Enterprise, the Guyana-based gold wholesaling and export company controlled 90% by Nazar and 10% by Azruddin, is alleged to have sold gold to buyers in Miami and Dubai, while circumventing Guyana’s revenue and regulatory system.

The indictment claims that the defendants would reuse official Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Guyana Gold Board (GGB) customs seals and export declarations, originally applied legally on one shipment on subsequent shipments for which they had not paid taxes or royalties. This, prosecutors say, created the false impression that proper payments had been made.

Additionally, the duo is also accused of bribing State officials to facilitate their alleged corrupt acts. The indictment sets forth that the Mohameds paid bribes to Guyanese government officials, including customs agents to allow the acceptance of duplicate paperwork and reused seals. Through this mechanism, the scheme allegedly enabled the evasion of duties and royalties that should have gone to Guyana’s coffers.

According to the court papers from 2017 through June 11, 2024, the indictment alleges the defendants caused exports of at least 10,000 kilograms of gold to pass through Miami without payment of the proper dues to Guyana, amounting to a loss of approximately US$50 million to the Guyanese government. The indictment further charges the Mohameds with conspiring to transport, transmit, and transfer funds derived from their criminal scheme, including through international wire transfers, with the intent to promote the underlying illegal activity. The scheme is said to have used U.S. and foreign financial institutions to move illicit proceeds.

According to the court papers, the purpose of the conspiracy was for the defendants to unlawfully enrich themselves and defraud the Government of Guyana in connection with taxes and royalties owed on the sale and export of gold by fraudulently reusing Guyana customs declarations and seals on gold shipments sent through Miami to make it appear that Mohamed’s Enterprise had paid taxes and royalties when it had not actually paid them.

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• arrested, Azruddin Mohamed, bail, court, Mohameds, Nazar, U.S. extradition

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