CCJ will be asked to reject Mohameds’ appeal; Nandlall says ‘absolutely no need’ for stay

Attorney General Anil Nandlall says the State will move to oppose applications filed by U.S.-indicted Guyanese gold traders Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar, before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), including the request to stay ongoing extradition proceedings.

Speaking during his Issues in the News programme on Tuesday evening, Nandlall made it clear that the State sees no justification for halting proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court.

“The State’s intention [is] to oppose the application for special leave, and to oppose any application for a stay of the Magistrate’s Court proceedings,” he said.

The CCJ is set for a case management on Wednesday at 10:00 hours.

Nandlall argued that there is “absolutely no need” for a stay, pointing out that the committal proceedings have already been adjourned until April 7.

“There is no urgency… because an adjournment to the 7th of April has already been granted,” he explained.

He added that this window provides sufficient time for the CCJ to hear and determine any application for special leave without disrupting proceedings in the lower court.

The Attorney General highlighted that numerous legal challenges filed by the Mohameds have already been dealt with across various levels of the judiciary.

According to him, the courts have moved swiftly to dispose of several matters, including constitutional challenges, judicial review applications and appeals.

“We have disposed already a number of matters in the High Court… [including] two constitutional challenges and one judicial review,” he said.

He added that appeals and related applications have also been addressed by the Full Court and Court of Appeal, bringing the total number of disposed matters to around ten.

“These proceedings were filed only last week… yet dates have already been fixed and matters heard,” he noted.

Despite the pace at the higher courts, Nandlall contended that the extradition proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court have been significantly delayed.

He accused the defence of using a series of tactics to prolong the matter, including repeated adjournments, extensive cross-examination of witnesses and multiple filings in higher courts.

“All of these… are designed to delay the committal process,” he said.

The Attorney General described the ongoing cross-examination of a key witness from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as “unprecedented,” noting that it has continued for months and often involves questions he considers irrelevant to the case.

Despite the delays, Nandlall maintained that the state remains committed to advancing the case and ensuring that justice is served.

He emphasised that while attempts may be made to frustrate the legal process, the rule of law will ultimately prevail.

“The law… will prevail in the end,” he said.