US extradition request: Police witness rejects defence claim that Pres Ali directed surveillance of US-sanctioned LOO

Senior Superintendent of Police Prem Narine on Monday denied that President Dr Irfaan Ali or anyone acting on his behalf instructed him to monitor United States (US) sanctioned and indicted, Azruddin Mohamed, as Defence Attorney Siand Dhurjon pressed the Special Branch Unit head over alleged political surveillance. The extradition case involving the US-sanctioned man and his father, Nazar Mohamed, is ongoing before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Under sustained questioning, Narine rejected a series of suggestions that the police had been used to monitor the Mohamed family because of their political activities. Dhurjon specifically put to Narine that he had been instructed by President Ali to keep Mohamed under surveillance. “That is not true,” Narine replied. When asked whether the instruction had begun in 2024, Narine again rejected the suggestion.

“That’s not true.” The exchanges came after Dhurjon sought to establish whether Narine’s relationship with the President and his professional advancement under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government could have influenced his handling of matters involving the Mohameds. Prosecutor Herbert McKenzie repeatedly objected to that line of questioning, arguing that several of the issues raised by the defence were irrelevant to the extradition proceedings. Dhurjon had questioned Narine about his interactions with President Ali, including whether the two men had met at police functions and at a masjid in Queenstown. Narine said that he had encountered Dr Ali at police functions since he became President, estimating that such encounters occurred two or three times a year. He also confirmed that he had seen the President at the Queenstown Masjid, but rejected the suggestion that he frequently conversed with the President there.

McKenzie objected to the questions about the mosque, while Dhurjon argued that the relationship was relevant to the credibility and conduct of the witness.