Defence attorneys representing sanctioned businessman and Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, have applied for the recusal of prosecutor Glenn Hanoman after he allegedly referred to the pair as the “biggest criminals” during ongoing extradition proceedings at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The remark was reportedly made before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman while Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, was under cross-examination. According to the defence, Hanoman interjected during questioning and stated, “He is the biggest criminal,” in reference to the Mohameds.
Defence counsel Siand Dhurjon argued that the comment was improper and inconsistent with the professional standards expected of an attorney-at-law, maintaining that prosecutors are obligated to remain impartial and that the statement suggested personal bias which could undermine the fairness of the proceedings. On that basis, the defence is seeking an order barring Hanoman from further participation in the matter.
Guyana’s legal system, grounded in common law principles, guarantees the right to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and the court has not made any determination regarding the Mohameds’ innocence or guilt. Legal analysts told Village Voice News that such a statement coming from an attorney-at-law and a party of interest representing the State in extradition proceedings raises concerns about impartiality and the overall fairness of the process.
Magistrate Latchman subsequently directed both the prosecution and the defence to submit written arguments by email addressing the recusal application.
Following the hearing, Hanoman told members of the media that his description of the Mohameds as the “biggest criminals” was made in the context of exchanges inside the courtroom and was not intended for public consumption. He explained that the remark arose during the intensity of legal argument in the extradition proceedings and should be understood within the adversarial nature of the hearing rather than as a public declaration.
In a subsequent social media post, Azruddin Mohamed criticised the prosecutor, stating: “PPP attorney Glen Hanoman ran crazy in court this morning and shouted “Azruddin Mohamed is the biggest criminal.” Glen Hanoman, as a Prosecutor is lawfully bound to be a minister of justice and to be impartial. Glen has a personal interest in this matter, we will let the public know of the reasons shortly. Pictured below are birds of a feather flocked together!“ The message was accompanied by a photograph showing Hanoman alongside social media personality Mikhail “Guyanese Critic” Rodrigues, who has had a public feud with the Mohameds (the photo used in this story).
Azruddin Mohamed and Nazar Mohamed are fighting extradition to the United States to answer 11 federal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, bribery and tax evasion linked to their gold-export business. U.S. prosecutors allege the pair used fraudulent export declarations and bribery to ship large quantities of gold while evading millions of dollars in taxes and royalties owed to Guyana. The Mohameds have denied the allegations and are challenging the extradition through legal proceedings in Guyana.
