Principle Magistrate Judy Latchman has warned the Prosecution in the Mohameds extradition hearing that the case before the Court is not a game of chess.

She issued the warning this morning as she barred the Prosecution team from making any further disclosures in the Extradition Case against businessmen Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed after today.

The stern warning came as the Prosecution brought fresh evidence to the Court while the committal hearing was already underway.

Though allowing the document to be filed and served, the Principal Magistrate repeatedly warned the Prosecution team about their actions.

“I must caution the Prosecution that this is not a game of chess. It is not a game of chess, so, you cannot be jumping. There are no knights here, so there is no L form jumping. You have to serve, you have to file all your statements, and this should have been done before hand. So, I would not allow any further disclosure in the matter, this is not a game of chess,” Magistrate Latchman told the Prosecution.

Special Prosecutor Terrence Williams attempted to intervene, but the Principal Magistrate repeated her position.

Amid objections from the Attorneys for the Mohameds, Prosecutor Williams, in an attempt to justify the last minute disclosure, told the Court that the statement from the Foreign Minister was being submitted out of an abundance of caution. In effect, he said it supports the Certificate of the Minister, which under the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Act is proof of the extradition arrangements with the UK, and its extension to Guyana.

“There is a formal requirement in the Act, which the Minister has to perform. The Act provides it to be done by way of a certificate as one means, and it is that act which the Minister performs – an act which, the content of which or the foundation for which has been confirmed by the courts on many occasions, that is that there is an extradition arrangement in existence between Guyana and the United States,” Williams told reporters outside the court.

Defense Attorney Siand Dhurjon, who this morning informed the Court that he along with Damien Da Silva are representing Nazar Mohamed in the case, said today’s disclosure at this the eleventh hour, “seeks to close the gap” and address the “deficiencies” in the evidence provided by the first witness – Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sharon Roopchand-Edwards – when she took the stand on Tuesday.

He submitted to the Court, that Roopchand-Edwards was unable to substantiate the Certificate of the Minister, which is a key piece of evidence in the case, and the disclosure to remedy the situation is an abuse of the judicial process – a position he maintained outside of the courtroom.

“Now that the document has been submitted long pass the midnight hour, as you would remember the US Counsel, its lawyers, kept on saying from the very first hearing that they were ready, that they were eager to proceed. Now, after testimony already commence, they are three-quarter way through their first witness, they recognize through our objections and our efforts that there are a number of holes, a number of glaring gaps in the evidence of that witness because of their unpreparedness,” Dhurjon told reporters.

He said while the Defence Team relishes the opportunity to cross-examine the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd, it was necessary to make their objections known.

Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde who is representing Azruddin Mohamed, put forward similar arguments in the Court. He said the Prosecution was attempting to cure the deficiencies in the witness’ statement.

“We believe and we advocated to the court that that was meant to cure gaps and deficiencies in the evidence given two days ago by the Permanent Secretary. We believe that is an important issue, and as I indicated to the Court that goes to the jurisdiction of the court, it establishes an existence of an extradition arrangement between Guyana and the United States. I had indicated to the Court and to the public that I believe that there are a lot of political machinations at work,” Forde told reporters.

He said without any rational explanation by the Prosecutors or the US, the Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who is not a party to the matter in the Magistrates’ Court, copied in the email dispatched to the Defence with the latest disclosure.

“I believe that the lines are being blurred continuously in terms of how this case is proceeding from the point of view of the Prosecution and I see no rational basis for such a statement to be sent to the Attorney General,” Forde told reporters.

But the Special Prosecutor Williams said he doesn’t know what is the “big song and dance” over today’s disclosure.

“This is a big song and dance over a very trivial, formal issue. Very trivial, formal issue and a lot is being made by the Defense Counsel regarding it but in the long run, all things will prevail as it ought to be,” he said.

Though the Magistrate has allowed the document to be filed and served, she adjourned the case to February 5, 2026 to allow the Defense Team time to peruse the document. The Mohameds are wanted in the US on an 11-count indictment related to alleged acts of fraud and tax evasion.

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