Magistrate refuses to revoke bail of Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed

Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman ruled Friday that bare allegations without evidence cannot justify revoking bail. Mohamed remains free amid extradition proceedings.

Court upholds Mohamed's bail despite prosecution's treason-level warnings

Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman on Friday declined to revoke the bail of Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, finding that the prosecution had presented no concrete evidence to justify restricting his liberty. Kaieteur News reports that the ruling came during ongoing extradition committal proceedings against Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed.

"There is no basis for this court to revoke bail for Azruddin Mohamed at this stage. In the circumstances he remains on bail with the bail conditions attached. That's the ruling. It's not what you know, it's what can be proven," Latchman stated from the bench.

The matter was raised by Special Prosecutor Glen Hanoman shortly before a scheduled noon adjournment, citing Section 7(c) of the Bail Act. Hanoman told the court that police are investigating Mohamed's alleged presence near President Irfaan Ali's Leonora residence on Thursday night — an incident involving an armored vehicle and a drone.

Hanoman acknowledged the investigation remains at an early stage, with police still examining seized cellphones. Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, however, he argued that a prospective presidential candidate appearing outside the head of state's private home at night warranted strict scrutiny. He floated possible charges ranging from surveillance to treason, an attempted coup, or an assassination plot.

Defence Counsel Roysdale Forde, SC, dismissed the prosecution's bid as "ridiculous, flimsy, and without any substance." Forde stressed that the state had placed zero material evidence before the court establishing either a breach of bail conditions or the imminence of new criminal charges.

Forde maintained that Mohamed had acted within his constitutional, political, and moral obligations as opposition leader, having gone to the Leonora area after receiving reports about the alleged purchase of land adjacent to the president's residence. Defence attorney Siand Dhurjon echoed that position, saying Mohamed visited the location to investigate those complaints as part of his duties. Dhurjon further alleged that the application to revoke bail was driven by political direction rather than genuine legal grounds.

In her ruling, Latchman reaffirmed that courts must base decisions on facts proven before them, not on unverified police claims. She confirmed that Mohamed's bail and its existing conditions remain in force.

Source: Kaieteur News