President Irfaan Ali today broke his silence on the extradition request by the United States for sanctioned businessman and Member of Parliament, Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed.

Both of the Mohameds were arrested and granted bail last Friday, a day after the United States formally sent an extradition request to Guyana.  The two were indicted in a Florida Court last month on an 11-count indictment.

During an interview that was released by the President’s Office today, the President said there is no political persecution against the Mohameds. He said the Government is convinced that there is enough evidence to process the extradition requests.

“The extradition request was made in accordance with the legal and administrative mechanism, that request, like many other requests before, has been processed by the government of Guyana after examining the evidence and being convinces that there is a clear case. Now, that extradition request has been made and that request is being processed, this has nothing to do with the victim syndrome or claiming political persecution,” the President noted.

The President said the investigation against the Mohameds started long before his government took office, and that his government cannot be held responsible for what is taking place adding that the investigation was not done in Guyana.

He said the process has followed legal and administrative mechanisms.

“This is not an investigation that originated from here, this is an investigation that is international in nature. So, this notion that the Parliament was delayed for an extradition is totally disconnected from the truth and it is a notion that is created for a specific intention and specific purpose,” the President said.

The President said the case against the Mohameds has been made out and there is a legal process that is now unfolding for their possible extradition.

“We made it clear, that we are going to work with our international partners to ensure that whatever legal and administrative steps must be taken, will be taken, nothing political, nothing political, a straight forward case that is being laid,” the President said.

The Mohameds once shared close ties with the President and his Government, donating millions to the governing party and supporting its campaigns over the years. In the last Local Government Election, the elder Mohamed, Nazar Mohamed, was elected to the Eccles NDC as a PPP Councillor. He has since resigned from the post.

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