“Not a dollar has been paid” – Nandlall says Govt to go after costs awarded in cases lost by Mohameds

The Guyana Government is looking to recover approximately $4 million in costs awarded by the courts, including a sum that United States-indicted businessmen Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed failed to pay within the February timeline set by the High Court.

On Tuesday, the Appeal Court of Guyana threw out a case filed by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father Nazar Mohamed, who are challenging their extradition to the United States to face charges related to gold smuggling and money laundering allegations.

Citing that the case lacked merit, the Appeal Court unanimously dismissed the application and ordered a total of $3 million in costs to be paid by the Mohameds – something which Attorney General Anil Nandlall says they will be going after.

“We intend to pursue and receive payment of,” he assured during his programme “Issues in the News” on Tuesday evening.

This commitment to go after the payments comes after the Mohameds failed to pay another set of costs awarded by the High Court.

On February 24, acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh had dismissed the case filed by the Mohameds challenging the legality of the Authority to Proceed with the extradition that was issued by Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond. They claimed that the minister’s decision to authorise the extradition process was influenced by political considerations.

However, the High Court judge found no merit in those arguments and dismissed the application and ordered the Mohameds to pay $500,000 in costs to each of the respondents – the Attorney-General, the Minister of Home Affairs and Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, who is currently presiding over the extradition hearing.

The Mohameds were ordered to pay the costs by February 27 but have failed to do so.

“Not a dollar has been paid,” Nandlall said.

According to AG Nandlall, he informed the lawyer that steps would be taken to enforce the court order if no payments were received.

“I wrote a letter to Roysdale Forde dated March 11, 2026 in which I pointed out to him that the cost order made by the learned Chief Justice states that the costs should be paid by the February 27, 2026 and that as of March 11, 2026, we did not receive any payment as per the order of the court. I requested payment to be made forthwith. We have not received a response from this letter. I said in the letter, that if payment is not received, the necessary steps would be taken to enforce the order,” Nandlall said.

He added that another letter will be dispatched with regards to the cost orders issued by the Appeal Court.

Having lost legal battles in both the High and Appeal Courts, the extradition proceedings against the Mohameds continue in the Magistrates Courts.