GUYANA · COURTS
Guyana’s chief prosecutor has asked a High Court judge to strike several paragraphs from a sworn statement filed by opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed in his fight for bail. The application was filed on Monday, 9 November, and is due to be heard this week.
It matters to US readers because Mohamed is also under US sanctions and faces a US extradition request, in a country that hosts large offshore oil production led by ExxonMobil, a US oil company. The cybercrime charge is a second court track against him, alongside the extradition case.
Key Facts
- What Prosecutors want parts of Mohamed’s own bail affidavit struck out; the application is due for hearing this week.
- Who Azruddin Mohamed leads the opposition party We Invest in Nationhood; Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif hears the case.
- Charge He is charged under the Cybercrime Act, which covers computer offences, over police camera footage, remanded since 30 October, and not convicted.
- Dates The DPP application is due on Wednesday, 11 November; the main bail challenge is set for 23 November.
- US link Mohamed is under US sanctions and separately faces a US extradition request.
The fight is about what counts as evidence: prosecutors say parts of the affidavit are hearsay, not facts the opposition leader knows himself.
What Prosecutors Want
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Guyana’s chief state prosecutor, asked the High Court on Monday, 9 November, to remove several paragraphs from the affidavit Mohamed filed on Wednesday, 4 November. An affidavit is a sworn written statement used as evidence.
The filing says those paragraphs contain hearsay, meaning second-hand claims, and statements of law that do not belong in sworn evidence. It adds that Mohamed did not show personal knowledge of some complaints, social media comments and claims that police footage was deleted.
The DPP does not oppose most of the affidavit, although it does not admit the rest. No ruling on the application has been reported.
How the Case Got Here
Magistrate Abigail Gibbs refused Mohamed bail on Friday, 30 October, and remanded him until Tuesday, 24 November. He and police constable Ryan Greene are charged under the Cybercrime Act, which covers computer offences, over police camera footage linked to a shooting involving Prem Narine, head of the Special Branch, the police intelligence unit.
Mohamed’s mother, Bonita Mohamed, acting for him as “next friend” (a relative who acts for someone held in custody), asked the High Court to review that decision and grant bail. Mohamed has not been convicted and is presumed innocent.
Separately, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, the government’s chief legal adviser, asked the court to strike out much of the affidavit sworn by Mohamed’s mother, calling it largely hearsay. The defence called that a delay tactic, and on Wednesday, 4 November the judge allowed Mohamed to file an affidavit in his own name.
What Comes Next
The prosecutors’ application is due to be heard on Wednesday, 11 November. Arguments on the Attorney General’s separate strike-out motion against the mother’s affidavit were set for Thursday, 12 November, with a ruling expected on Friday, 13 November.
Arguments on the main bail challenge are set for Monday, 23 November. His remand runs to Tuesday, 24 November.
Why It Matters Beyond Guyana
The US Treasury sanctioned Mohamed in June 2024, and the United States seeks his extradition. Guyana’s Chief Magistrate kept his extradition bail in place in early November, so the extradition case and the cybercrime case now run side by side.
Guyana hosts large offshore oil production led by ExxonMobil, so political stability there matters to US energy investors. Our earlier report covers the bail rulings in the extradition case.
What It Means for You
The step concerns the rules of evidence in a bail hearing. US readers who invest in or travel to Guyana should treat it as a legal and political story to watch.
The court must settle what evidence it will read before it decides whether Mohamed leaves prison before trial. The two disputes are being heard in the same proceedings.
What Is Not Known
No ruling on the prosecutors’ application has been reported. We also do not know how much of the affidavit, if any, the judge will remove.
For background, see Guyana’s political players and the arrest over the police video. More is on our Guyana hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Azruddin Mohamed?
He leads Guyana’s opposition party We Invest in Nationhood. The US Treasury sanctioned him in June 2024, and he is presumed innocent in all cases.
Why is he in prison?
A magistrate remanded him on Friday, 30 October, until 24 November on a charge under the Cybercrime Act. He has not been convicted.
What is an affidavit?
It is a written statement sworn as true and used as evidence in court. Judges can remove parts that are hearsay or opinion.
Sources: High Court of Guyana and Magistrates’ Courts, filings and rulings of 30 October and 2–9 November 2026 as stated in open court and reported (no court record published); US Treasury, press release on sanctions in Guyana, 11 June 2024 (read 10 November 2026).
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