A Caribbean court rules that a US extradition process against Guyana’s opposition leader can resume

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — A U.S. extradition process against Guyana’s main opposition leader and his father wanted on gold smuggling and money laundering charges can resume after they had legally challenged the request, a Caribbean regional court ruled on Wednesday.

The Caribbean Court of Justice ruled against Azruddin Mohamed and his father Nazar Mohamed who were indicted in Florida last year in a case that has underscored persistent government corruption in the oil-rich South American nation.

Azruddin Mohamed, who leads the second-largest party in Guyana’s Parliament, was elected the country’s opposition leader in January, just six months after founding the We Invest in Nationhood Party.

The two have denied the accusations and fought the extradition proceedings before the Caribbean Court of Justice in Trinidad, which serves as the final court of appeal for several countries in the region.

It was not immediately clear when the proceedings would resume.

“This is, of course, a complicated matter,” Justice Winston Anderson said during the hearing, which was livestreamed.

Attorneys for the Mohameds did not speak during the hearing and did not return messages seeking comment later. The defense had argued that some of the charges the duo face are not extraditable offenses.

Azruddin Mohamed was seen sitting outdoors during the proceedings, smiling at times. After the hearing, Nazar Mohamed told The Associated Press that while it is too early to react comprehensively, their attorneys would advise on the way forward.

“It is a 256-page judgement,” he said. “Our lawyers are checking it through. Based on what lawyers say, all is not lost as yet. … We will be fighting all the way.”

Azruddin Mohamed is one of Guyana’s wealthiest citizens. He and his father have been out on bond since their arrest last year following the U.S. extradition request.

The U.S. Treasury Department also has sanctioned the duo for allegedly smuggling more than 10,000 kilograms (22,000 pounds) of gold to the United States from Guyana, and evading more than $50 million in taxes.

The Mohameds had been among Guyana’s largest gold buyers and exporters, selling gold to buyers in Miami and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, according to the U.S. Justice Department. They also ran one of the most successful foreign exchange outlets and possess extensive real estate holdings.

While the U.S. government has targeted the two, it remains on friendly terms with the administration of Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali as the country experiences an economic boom thanks to massive offshore oil deposits that Venezuela has long claimed as theirs.

___

Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.