GUYANA · COURTS
Key Facts
- What is happening A Guyana magistrate refused on Monday, 2 November, to cancel Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed’s extradition bail, yet he stays in prison on a separate remand.
- Why it matters Mohamed is under US sanctions and the United States wants him extradited, in a country that hosts major US-linked offshore oil production.
- The numbers He was remanded on Friday, 30 October, until Tuesday, 24 November. Bail in an earlier firearm case is GYD 750,000 (about US$3,580) a person.
- Who is who Azruddin Mohamed leads the opposition party We Invest in Nationhood. Judy Latchman is Chief Magistrate, and Prem Narine heads the police Special Branch and is a witness.
- What to watch Whether the High Court grants Mohamed bail in the remand case, and how the US extradition hearing in Georgetown proceeds after Monday’s ruling.
- What it means for you The rulings do not touch oil contracts or output. Americans planning Guyana travel should check the State Department advisory and local news first.
A Guyana court refused on 2 November to revoke the extradition bail of opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed. He remains in prison because another court remanded him four days earlier.
A magistrate in Guyana refused on Monday, 2 November, to cancel the extradition bail of Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed. He nonetheless remains in prison, because another court remanded him on Friday, 30 October.
Mohamed is under US sanctions, and US prosecutors want him extradited over an alleged gold-export fraud. Guyana is a close US partner and a major offshore oil producer, so the case matters to Washington and to investors.
What the Court Decided on Monday
Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman ruled that past conduct and pending charges, without a conviction, did not justify revoking bail. She said a conviction during the extradition case could bear on a later request.
The US side asked her to revoke bail for Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, citing a pattern of alleged offences. Latchman kept bail for both men in this matter.
Defence lawyers Roysdale Forde and Siand Dhurjon also made submissions. Latchman held that the court can revoke bail but found no sufficient grounds.
Why He Is Still in Custody
On Friday, 30 October, Magistrate Abigail Gibbs refused bail and remanded Mohamed to prison until Tuesday, 24 November. The hearing was at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, and a 20-year-old police constable was remanded with him.
Police allege the constable copied government surveillance video and that Mohamed paid him GYD 800,000 (about US$3,820) for it. Mohamed’s lawyers have said they will ask the High Court for bail.
Police say the footage relates to the 12 October shooting outside a senior police officer’s home. Mohamed has not been convicted of anything, and his defence says the allegations are unproven.
The Firearm Case Behind the Footage
Senior Superintendent Prem Narine heads the police Special Branch and is a key witness in the US extradition case against the Mohameds. Police say he was at home when he heard what he believed was a gunshot.
Police say Narine fired at the car, which officers later stopped before arresting Mohamed and two other men. Mohamed, his videographer and his driver pleaded not guilty to firearm and obstruction charges.
Each of the three was granted bail of GYD 750,000 (about US$3,580) in that case. Mohamed’s office denies he had a firearm and says police planted it.
The US Case Against the Mohameds
The US Treasury sanctioned Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed and their gold company on 11 June 2024, citing alleged corruption. A US grand jury in Miami then indicted both in October 2025.
The US Justice Department says the charges include money-laundering conspiracy and wire fraud, tied to an alleged US$50 million gold-export scheme. It stresses that an indictment is only an allegation and that defendants are presumed innocent.
Mohamed says the case is persecution because he entered politics, and both men deny wrongdoing. His party won 16 of 65 seats in the September 2025 election.
The governing party is the People’s Progressive Party, led by President Irfaan Ali. Mohamed’s extradition hearing continues before Latchman, with no date given for a final decision.
What It Means for You
None of Monday’s rulings changes oil contracts, output or sanctions rules. Investors in Guyana’s oil sector should treat this as political and legal risk to follow, not a change in terms.
Travellers to Georgetown should check the US State Department’s Guyana advisory and local news before going. Related Rio Times reports include the arrest over the video and the constable’s arrest.
More background is in the first arrest after the shooting, the extradition ruling delay and Guyana’s key political players. The country hub is Guyana.
What Is Not Known
The exact charge in the 30 October case could not be confirmed, and no court record has been published. Accounts also differ on how the remand and the firearm-case bail fit together.
It is not known when the extradition hearing will end or whether the High Court will grant bail. Reports also differ on whether the shooting happened late on 12 October or early on 13 October.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Guyana’s opposition leader in prison if his bail was kept?
The 2 November ruling kept his bail only in the extradition case. A separate court remanded him on 30 October until 24 November.
Why is Azruddin Mohamed under US sanctions?
The US Treasury sanctioned him and his father in June 2024, citing alleged corruption and tax evasion in gold exports. Both deny wrongdoing.
What does the United States want from Mohamed?
US prosecutors want him extradited to face money-laundering and fraud charges over an alleged US$50 million gold scheme. An indictment is only an allegation.
What happens next in the case?
He returns to court on Tuesday, 24 November, and his lawyers plan to seek bail at the High Court. The extradition hearing continues in Georgetown.
Sources: US Treasury, press release jy2401 of 11 June 2024; US Justice Department, Southern District of Florida, press release on case 25-cr-20441; court report of the Georgetown hearing, 2 November 2026; court report of the Sparendaam hearing, 30 October 2026. Exchange rate US$1 = GYD 209.6 (open.er-api.com, 3 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief