Guyana AG denies government role in judge’s U.S. visa review
Gino Persaud
Key Points(5)
- Guyana’s Attorney General Anil Nandlall has denied that the government played any role in the United States’ decision to place High Court Justice Gino Persaud’s visa under review.
- Persaud was stopped from boarding a flight through Miami to Jamaica last Saturday, where he was scheduled to attend a conference of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association.
- Airline officials reportedly told the judge that his U.S.
- visa was under review and advised him to contact the U.S.
- Embassy in Georgetown.
Guyana’s Attorney General Anil Nandlall has denied that the government played any role in the United States’ decision to place High Court Justice Gino Persaud’s visa under review.
Persaud was stopped from boarding a flight through Miami to Jamaica last Saturday, where he was scheduled to attend a conference of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association.
Airline officials reportedly told the judge that his U.S. visa was under review and advised him to contact the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown. The reason for the review has not been made public, and Persaud has not publicly commented on the matter.
Speaking Tuesday on his weekly programme, Issues in the News, Nandlall rejected suggestions that the visa review was connected to Persaud’s rulings in cases involving businessman Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed.
“The government of Guyana, including the President, the Vice President and the Attorney General have absolutely no influence whatsoever over American, US foreign policy or any aspect of US governance,” Nandlall said.
He added that the government had “absolutely no influence whatsoever” over decisions about who is permitted to travel to the United States.
Nandlall described claims that the Guyana Government was responsible for the visa review as “absolute nonsense.”
Government had criticised judge’s ruling
Nandlall acknowledged that the government had publicly criticised a decision by Persaud in a case involving the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the importation of luxury vehicles linked to the Mohamed family.
The GRA has appealed the decision.
The case involved a Lamborghini and was also referenced in a U.S. grand jury indictment against Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed. The two men are facing extradition proceedings in Guyana over U.S. allegations of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. They have denied the allegations.
Nazar Mohamed has separately denied having any personal, professional or business relationship with Persaud, saying the family’s only connection to the judge involved cases that came before him in his judicial capacity.
Following reports of the visa review, Mohamed questioned whether the development could have implications for judicial independence and said it would be “foolish to ignore the circumstances surrounding it.”
There is currently no public evidence establishing that Guyanese officials influenced the U.S. decision. The United States has also not publicly disclosed why Persaud’s visa was placed under review.
Debate over judicial independence
The development comes amid a broader debate in Guyana over judicial independence, public criticism of judges and the government’s response to court decisions.
Nandlall has previously defended the government’s right to criticise judicial decisions while maintaining that judges must remain accountable to the public.
Persaud was confirmed as a High Court judge in 2024 after serving several years as an acting puisne judge.
