Guyanese opposition leader’s lawyer seeks CCJ president’s recusal

Lawyers for Guyanese Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father, businessman Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, have asked the Caribbean Court of Justice to prevent its president, Justice Winston Anderson, from taking any further part in proceedings involving the pair until allegations of possible bias are resolved.

The request, contained in a letter dated August 14, 2026, adds a new legal dimension to the controversy surrounding the regional court and comes weeks after the CCJ unanimously rejected the Mohameds’ appeal in their extradition matter.

Attorneys Roysdale Forde, Siand Dhurjon and Damien Da Silva told the court’s Registrar that their clients were “deeply disturbed and distressed by the allegations” and believed there was a “strong and reasonable” concern that they may not have received the fair hearing guaranteed by the Constitution.

The legal team is seeking what it described as “full and frank disclosure” of emails, correspondence and other records that could shed light on alleged impropriety involving Justice Anderson or other CCJ judges. The request also covers material concerning deliberations surrounding the Mohameds’ appeal.

The lawyers have given the court 7 days to provide the requested information, warning that their clients reserve the right to pursue further legal action if the material is not supplied. They said the disclosure is necessary to allow the Mohameds to make an informed decision about possible legal recourse.

The dispute follows the CCJ’s July 29, 2026 decision dismissing the Mohameds’ appeal and lifting an interim stay, allowing extradition proceedings in Guyana to proceed. The two men are wanted in the United States over allegations of money laundering, wire fraud and mail fraud connected to their gold trading business.

Questions about Justice Anderson intensified after reports of leaked internal correspondence among CCJ judges and allegations concerning his interactions with President Irfaan Ali and then Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton over Guyana’s senior judicial appointments. Norton has said he viewed Anderson’s involvement as political interference, although he stressed that his concerns about Anderson predated the Mohamed case.

He also declared that no CCJ judge would allow himself or herself to be improperly influenced by another judge, including the president.

The extradition proceedings are scheduled to resume before Magistrate Judy Latchman on September 3, 2026, with 6 hearing days anticipated

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