Authorities in Guyana arrested Azruddin Mohamed, the country’s incoming opposition leader and one of its wealthiest businessmen, on Friday following an extradition request from the United States.
Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, were both indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in Florida on charges of money laundering, bribery, tax evasion, and fraud. The arrests come just days before Parliament is set to reconvene on Monday, when Azruddin is expected to be formally elected as Leader of the Opposition.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall confirmed that the arrests were carried out in response to a formal U.S. extradition request. The father-and-son duo appeared before a Georgetown magistrate and were released on bail of $750,000 each, with several conditions attached.
Both men must surrender their passports to the Clerk of the Court and report weekly to the Ruimveldt Police Station, beginning November 7, between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. The case has been adjourned until November 10, when the disclosure of evidence is expected.
The Mohameds were represented by a high-profile legal team including Siand Dhurjon, Damien DaSilva, Nigel Hughes, Darren Wade, and Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, while Terrence Williams KC and Herbert McKenzie SC appeared for the state.
“I am innocent,” Azruddin told reporters outside the court following his release. “The exportation of gold is not my business — it is my father’s business. I am a gold miner.” He also accused the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) of using the extradition request to persecute him for his entry into politics.
Supporters of the We Invest in Nationhood Party (WIN) gathered outside the courthouse, chanting “We want Mohamed!” and denouncing the arrests as politically motivated. Party General Secretary Odessa Primus said the arrests were “an attempt to humiliate” the Mohameds.
Both men are accused of smuggling more than 22,000 pounds (10,000 kilograms) of gold from Guyana to the U.S., evading more than US$50 million in taxes, and committing fraud to enrich themselves. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the family and their company, Mohamed’s Enterprise, in 2023 over similar allegations.
The indictments, filed in Florida in early October, charge the Mohameds with conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. The U.S. Justice Department has accused them of manipulating Guyana’s gold export system and bribing local officials to facilitate the scheme.
If the extradition request is approved, the men will have the right to appeal through Guyana’s court system, with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) serving as the final avenue of appeal.
President Irfaan Ali, who recently won re-election, confirmed that Parliament will reopen on November 3, with members of the WIN party expected to take their seats for the first time. Despite the charges, Azruddin Mohamed remains eligible to attend and participate in Monday’s sitting pending the outcome of the extradition hearings.
