The Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed and his father Nazar Mohamed will remain on bail in the ongoing extradition proceedings, Chief Magistrate, Judy Latchman has ruled. The Opposition Leader, however, remains remanded in leaked CCTV recordings case which is before a different Court.

This morning, the Chief Magistrate handed down her ruling in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court as she rejected an application by Special Prosecutor, Terrence Williams for the Opposition Leader’s bail to be revoked on the grounds that he breached the bail conditions.

 “I do not find that past conduct without conviction and pending charges without conviction is sufficient to warrant a revocation of bail. In these circumstances, bail is being maintained for the Mohameds in relation to this matter,” the Chief Magistrate ruled.

Ahead of the Chief Magistrate’s decision, Special Prosecutor Williams told the Court that the Opposition Leader was currently before Court for a number of offences, including attempting to obstruct the course of justice, witness tampering, possession of firearm without a license and illegal possession of ammunition.

But Counsel for the Mohameds – Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde and Attorney-at-Law Siand Dhurjon argued that the application is without merit. The two argued that the Mohameds have not been found guilty of any offence, and the bail should remain in effect.

Outside the courtroom, Forde told reporters that the Mohameds’ legal team was satisfied with the ruling.

“We are satisfied. We are happy with the ruling made by the magistrate opting not to revoke the bail in the extradition proceedings. Our position is that the Bail Act does not confer the Magistrate with the power to revoke bail. It confers the magistrate with the power to revoke conditions of bail. In relation to the power to revoke bail, it specifically provided that two courts have it – the Full Court under Sections 17 and 20 of the Bail Act and the Court of Appeal and that is especially provided for. A Magistrate’s Court is a court of Statutory Jurisdiction, it could only exercise the powers that are expressly conferred on it,” Forde explained.

He said there was no basis for the application before the Court. However, while the Mohameds’ remain on bail in the extradition proceedings, the Opposition Leader remains on remand over an allegation that he paid $800,000 to Police Constable Ryan Greene after the Police Constable allegedly provided him with surveillance video recordings from the Government’s Safe Country CCTV system.

The video recordings were of the incident that involved Mohamed and the Special Branch Head on the 12th October when the Special Branch Head shot at the Opposition Leader’s car after intercepting it at a traffic light.

Today, as he entered the Court room, the Opposition Leader accused the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government of wanting to execute him.

“This demonic PPP/C Government want to kill me before the next elections,” the Opposition Leader said as he existed the police van.  According to him, he is being held in solitary confinement.

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