Special Branch Chief Testifies in Extradition Hearing Over Surveillance of Azruddin Mohamed

Senior Superintendent Prem Narine denied in court that President Irfaan Ali or anyone acting for him instructed him to monitor US-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, as defence lawyers pressed allegations of political surveillance in the extradition case against Mohamed and his father, Nazar. The hearing matters because it could affect claims about how police handled the men before their arrest and the US request for extradition on fraud and money-laundering charges.

Special Branch head Senior Superintendent Prem Narine was closely questioned in court over how police located Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed before his October 31 arrest and why surveillance began in early 2024, before the U.S. extradition request. Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman said the hearing would not be rushed, as the defence probes whether the operation was independent of political influence.

Senior Superintendent Prem Narine told Guyana’s extradition court he had intelligence linking Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed to six alleged execution-style killings, but Mohamed was never arrested or charged in those cases. The testimony, and Narine’s admission that he destroyed three police note books, has raised questions about how Special Branch handled the intelligence and preserved evidence.