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Spy chief says can’t remember who ordered Mohameds’ extradition
…says opposition leader a threat to national security
(Kaieteur News) – Head of the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch, Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, admitted in court on Monday that he could not remember who instructed him to execute extradition proceedings against billionaire businessmen Nazar “Shell” Mohamed and his son, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, while simultaneously declaring the younger Mohamed a threat to national security.
The extradition hearing before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman centers on a request from the United States, where the Mohameds face charges of alleged wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering tied to their gold trading operations. The defense team, including attorney Siand Dhurjon, is seeking to establish that the extradition process is politically motivated and being weaponised by the Guyanese government against political opponents.
During cross-examination, Narine, the head of the state’s intelligence arm, colloquially known as the “spy chief”, acknowledged that under police standing orders, Special Branch is tasked with state stability and national security matters rather than standard criminal investigations, which fall under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Head of the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch, Senior Superintendent Prem Narine
Despite admitting he was explicitly instructed to collect extradition warrants and proceed with arrest filings on October 31, 2025, Narine repeatedly told the court he could not recall who gave the directive. “I could not recall who gave me that instruction,” Narine testified, stating he was unsure if the order originated from the police commissioner, the crime chief, or a divisional commander. He noted receiving a “general instruction” and taking necessary actions as events unfolded.
Defense counsel pressed Narine on how he retrieved the arrest warrants from the attorney general’s chambers, a body the defense argued plays no role in traditional extradition processing, which typically runs through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs. Narine confirmed collecting the documents there but testified he did not know who drafted them or how they arrived at that office, noting this was the first extradition case in his career involving the attorney general’s chambers.
Dhurjon suggested to the court that Narine was under political pressure to ensure the Mohameds were arrested immediately ahead of a scheduled convening of parliament. Narine rejected the assertion, denying any direction from the executive branch.
When asked if President Irfaan Ali had directly ordered his involvement, Narine firmly denied the claim: “Definitely not, because an instruction from the president is a privilege and something that I would remember.” He added that police officers are not obligated to carry out unlawful mandates.
Opposition leader a “national security threat”
The defense confronted the intelligence chief regarding a July 2025 public statement by President Ali, which reportedly framed Azruddin Mohamed as a national threat. While Narine claimed ignorance of the president’s specific public remarks, he offered a severe assessment of his own.
“Standing here now, the information I have, I would consider him a threat to national security,” Narine declared to the court, expanding on testimony given Friday where he categorised Mohamed as a dangerous individual.
Dhurjon challenged Narine’s testimony directly, asserting that the officer was displaying “selective memory” and failing to provide an honest account to the court. Narine rejected the accusation as untrue.
Chief Magistrate Latchman instructed both the defense and prosecution to present legal authorities regarding key extradition principles, including protections against onward re-extradition to third-party states, political victimisation, and discrimination based on political opinion.
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