(Demerara Waves) – Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman on Thursday rejected a fresh request for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to disclose the contracts with United States (US) lobbyists that the Guyana government hired.
Defence Lawyer, Siand Dhurjon for Azruddin Mohamed was hoping to secure disclosure of the contracts after he provided evidence that one of the firms had successfully gotten two US members of Congress to post comments against his client who was indicted and extradition requested for by the US.
The younger Mohamed and his father Nazar “Shell” Mohamed are wanted by the US to face trial for alleged financial crimes of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.
“They have to do, Madam, with the body and soul of our defence,” he told the court, adding that the registration of the lobbyists with the US Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) now provided a sound basis to again ask for disclosure of the contracts with the lobbyists, conversations with the US on topics about the Mohameds and monies spent by the Guyana government “speak” to political persecution of his client.
The defence team has consistently contended that Mr Azruddin Mohamed, leader of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), is being targeted by the People’s Progressive Party Civic and its government because of his political views.
