As the Extradition Committal Proceedings against Businessmen Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed continues in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, the Prosecution has offered clarity on its proposal for the proceedings to be conducted by way of paper committal as against a Preliminary Inquiry (PI).

On Thursday, Prosecuting Attorney, Herbert McKenzie, told the Court that the proposal for the proceedings to be conducted by way of paper committal was only made in light of the number one accused, Nazar Mohamed’s illness.

Mohamed had fallen ill, and was unable to attend court on at least one occasion.

McKenzie told Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman that with the committal proceedings now far advanced, it would be unreasonable for the method of the proceedings to be changed.

Outside the Courtroom, Prosecuting Attorney, Glen Hanoman, told reporters that an application was never made for the proceedings to be converted to paper committal, although the lead Prosecutor Terrence Williams had defended the proposal in the Court.

“There was a side bar in which the illness of Mr. Nazar Mohamed was an issue, and what I personally did was pointed out to the Court that under the Paper Committal Act, there was a provision for a defendant who is ill to be represented by their lawyer with consent. That was the only context in which Paper Committals were referenced, just to say there is a body of law that caters for proceedings going on in the absence of an ill defendant. There was never ever an application before the court for these matters to be done by way of Paper Committal,” Hanoman told reporters.

 However, building on Hanoman’s proposal last week, the Lead Prosecutor pointed out that the Criminal Law Procedure (Paper Committal) Act 2024 abolished oral Preliminary Inquiries in favor of “paper committal,” and in doing so, he sought to apply the legislation to the extradition proceedings, currently being heard in accordance with the Fugitive Offenders Act.

On Thursday, Attorney for the Mohameds, Siand Dhurjon told the Court that he received the Prosecution’s written submissions on the use of Paper Committal on February 25, 2026, and would like time to respond in writing. He, however, made it clear that his client, Nazar Mohamed, who was present in the Courtroom along with his son, was opposed to having the proceedings continue in his absence or done via zoom.

The Principal Magistrate Inquired from the elder Mohamed, whether he was open to having his lawyers’ represent his interest in his absence, but he responded in the negative. Mr. Mohamed told the Court that he was not inclined to give his lawyer consent.

“I will try my best to be there,” he told the Court.  

The Defense Attorneys are expected to make their submissions on the matter on March 12, 2026.

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