The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) today- Wednesday, March 25- granted an interim stay of the extradition committal proceedings involving city businessmen Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, pending the hearing and determination of their appeal.
The stay halts the proceedings before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman until the CCJ rules on the Mohameds’ special leave application or the substantive appeal. CCJ President Winston Anderson said the measure was granted “in the interest of justice,” while acknowledging the need for extradition cases to be handled swiftly. A hearing on the appeal is scheduled for April 21.
The Mohameds are challenging a decision by the Guyana Court of Appeal that found Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond’s issuance of an Authority To Proceed (ATP)—which triggered the local extradition process—was an administrative act not subject to judicial review for bias. They argue that the minister’s decision was influenced by political bias, citing public statements made against Azruddin Mohamed by political leaders including President Bharrat Jagdeo, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, and Vice President Irfaan Ali.
In their appeal, the Mohameds contend that the Court of Appeal erred in law by failing to consider the substantial impact of the ATP on their rights, the minister’s potential conflict of interest, and the Attorney General’s alleged lack of transparency in facilitating the process. They argue that political influence alone is sufficient to establish apparent bias, challenging the court’s reliance on subsequent judicial safeguards such as committal proceedings and habeas corpus.
The committal hearing, which was scheduled to begin yesterday, has been rescheduled for April 7–10 following Azruddin Mohamed’s diagnosis with dengue fever. The CCJ’s stay represents the first judicial measure halting the extradition process, as neither the High Court nor the Court of Appeal had previously granted such relief.
The Mohameds’ appeal also questions the Court of Appeal’s interpretation of legal principles regarding bias under the Fugitive Offenders Act and the Interpretation and General Clauses Act, emphasising that the minister’s impartiality is crucial to ensuring a fair hearing.
The extradition proceedings stem from a United States, request under the 1931 Extradition Treaty, which led to the Mohameds’ arrest in October 2025 after an Authority To Proceed (ATP) was issued by Guyana’s Home Affairs Minister. The pair are facing committal hearings in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court while simultaneously challenging the legal basis for the extradition, arguing that the process and related legislation violate their constitutional rights
The CCJ, headquartered in Trinidad, has now taken on the pivotal role of determining whether political influence may have affected the initiation of the extradition process and whether the minister’s ATP decision can be judicially reviewed for bias.
