Azruddin Mohamed’s arrest warrant withdrawn

February 16 2026

An arrest warrant, issued on Monday morning for Leader of the Opposition and businessman Azruddin Mohamed, was later withdrawn after he appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman and apologised for arriving late to court.

The extradition committal hearing was scheduled for 9:00h at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. When Mohamed was not present at the scheduled time, the court issued a warrant shortly after 9:05h.

He arrived approximately 30 minutes later and offered an apology to the court, explaining that he encountered transportation difficulties earlier that morning.

The magistrate reminded him of the importance of punctuality and cautioned that court proceedings must continue without interruption. She indicated that bail could be affected if such situations reoccur.

The prosecution also raised concerns about possible delays in the matter, noting the need for the proceedings to move forward in a timely manner.

Mohamed appeared before Magistrate Latchman and expressed regret for his late arrival, stating that he had good reasons for being late.

He told the court that he had been dealing with a persistent cough and that his driver, based in Providence, had discovered two of their vehicle’s tyres had been deliberately slashed earlier that morning.

Magistrate Latchman dismissed Mohamed’s reasons, making it clear that excuses would not be accepted.

She also reminded him that his punctuality had been an issue in court on more than one previous occasion.

After hearing brief submissions, the magistrate withdrew the warrant and allowed Mohamed to remain on bail.

The extradition committal proceedings were adjourned to February 18, 2026, at 9:00h.

Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, are facing extradition to the United States, where they are accused of orchestrating a sophisticated international criminal operation.

Allegations against the pair include gold smuggling, large-scale tax evasion that reportedly cost Guyana around US$50 million, wire and mail fraud, and money laundering.

The father, 72, and son, 38, are named in 11 charges in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

They were placed on the U.S. Treasury’s sanctions list in June 2024.

Both remain out on $150,000 bail each, having surrendered their passports and are required to report weekly to Ruimveldt Police Station.

Their legal team is led by Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, with assistance from attorneys Siand Dhurjon and Damien DaSilva.

In the extradition proceedings in Guyana, the United States is represented by a team of prosecuting attorneys, including Jamaican King’s Counsel Terrence Williams, fellow Jamaican attorneys Herbert McKenzie and Celine Deidrick, and Guyanese attorney Glenn Hanoman.