-Trial resumes March 18
-by Kimberly Giddings
Prosecutor Glenn Hanoman didn’t hold back today, accusing the Mohameds of executing “masterclass delays” as he slammed the defence for dragging out the high-profile extradition case.
Extradition proceedings resumed on Tuesday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, adding another tense chapter to the ongoing legal battle.
The courtroom drama is now approaching the conclusion of testimony from the first witness.
Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand to present crucial evidence, including the Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Waldrond. At the center of the current testimony is Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose evidence is nearing completion.
“That witness was first called on the 6th of January so she has been under cross examining for over 2 and a half months, a masterclass in delay. At the rate we’re going it looks like it can last quite a few more months,” he lamented.
Roopchand-Edwards was cross-examined on the Office of the Permanent Secretary’s incoming correspondence.
The defence’s questions drew repeated objections from prosecutors, who argued they were irrelevant to her role in handling extradition documents and diplomatic correspondence.
Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman sustained many of these objections, blocking numerous defence queries amid tense courtroom exchanges. Hanoman criticised the defence’s tactics as attempts to delay the trial.
“They have stated that their case is that, as I understand it, that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not receive extradition documents from the U.S.A. The very documents are already in evidence. I find it mind-boggling,” Hanoman said.
A new line of questioning during cross-examination focused on post-request correspondence between Guyanese authorities and the US Embassy.
Roopchand-Edwards testified that a communication was sent to the US Embassy on December 3, 2025, on behalf of the Government, with a follow-up response, note #458, later received. She said the exchange was carried out on her minister’s directive, following legal advice, and related to safeguards under Article #7 of the extradition treaty, which limits the charges an extradited person may face.
The defence sought to tender the document in court but were blocked after prosecutor Herbert McKenzie objected, with Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman ruling that the proper legal foundation had not been laid. The Mohameds extradition case continues on Wednesday, March 18.