GRA confirms extradition request reason for dropping charges against Mohameds

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Thursday confirmed that tax charges against Guyanese businessmen and gold dealers Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed were withdrawn and discontinued due to a request from the United States for their extradition.

In a statement, the GRA said the charges, originally filed on October 24, 2025, were “withdrawn and wholly discontinued” following the Government of Guyana’s decision to comply with the U.S. extradition request. The agency cited legal principles including international comity, appropriateness, and fairness as guiding the decision.

The charges stemmed from an extensive GRA audit of Mohamed’s Enterprise’s gold export records and financial statements. The review of Income and Property Tax returns for Years of Assessment 2020 to 2024 (income years 2019–2023) had found that the Mohameds failed to submit true and correct returns, resulting in $34.07 billion in understated taxes and total sums due, including interest, calculated at $191.17 billion.

Specifically, Nazar Mohamed was alleged to have understated his tax liability by nearly $4.94 billion on gold exports, while Azruddin Mohamed, who was sworn in as an Opposition Parliamentarian earlier this week, reportedly understated his obligations by over $7.03 billion. Both faced multiple charges under Section 110(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act, Chapter 81:01.

Thursday’s withdrawal comes amid ongoing U.S. investigations. In June 2024, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned the Mohameds for alleged corruption and tax evasion in Guyana’s gold export sector. In October 2025, a U.S. grand jury in Florida indicted them on conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, and gold smuggling charges, alleging the export of more than 10,000 kilogrammes of gold without proper duties, costing Guyana an estimated US$50 million.

Legal observers note that under Article 4 of the extradition treaty, a person cannot be extradited if they have already been tried or punished for the same offence. Extradition is also deferred if the individual faces trial or punishment for another crime, a principle that informed the GRA’s decision to discontinue local proceedings while extradition moves forward.