Vitesh Guptar “unknown” to Gov’t – Nandlall rubbishes Azruddin Mohamed’s “link” allegation
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, has rejected allegations made by U.S.-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration had a relationship with Netherlands Businessman Vitesh Guptar or facilitated his freedom.
Speaking on his weekly programme, “Issues in the News,” Nandlall described the claim as a “diabolical” attempt to draw a false parallel between his own case before the court, while insisting that Guptar is “unknown” to the Government of Guyana.
“For the public record…Vitesh Guptar is unknown to the government, is unconnected to the government and has no affinity with the government of Guyana,” Nandlall said.
Nandlall argued that Guptar’s case followed a standard extradition process initiated by an Interpol Red Notice, not any alleged “conspiratorial alliance,” as Mohamed claimed.
He said the Guyana Police Force (GPF) received the Red Notice on February 6, 2024, seeking Guptar’s arrest in Guyana pending an extradition request from Italy.
According to Nandlall, Guptar was arrested and taken before the court, and on March 19, 2024, he appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where he was remanded until March 28 while authorities awaited the extradition request.
He said Guptar remained on remand for months and that by April 26, 2024, Guyana had received the “authority to proceed” and the extradition bundle, which was taken before the Magistrates’ Court in keeping with treaty requirements.
On May 2, 2024, he said the documents were tendered into evidence, and Guptar was later granted $2 million bail.
Nandlall said the extradition hearing ran from May 23, 2024, to October 28, 2024, when the Magistrate ruled there was insufficient evidence to extradite Guptar and discharged him.
He added that the police legal adviser later received word that Italy was no longer pursuing extradition because Guptar was cooperating with law enforcement there on other matters.
“In other words, he struck some type of deal with the law enforcement people in Italy,” Nandlall said, stressing again that the outcome “has nothing to do with the government of Guyana.”
Addressing Mohamed directly, Nandlall insisted that Guyana’s role in extradition cases is to facilitate requests from the requesting state, not to manufacture charges.
“The government of Guyana is not extraditing you Mr. Mohamed…It is the U.S. government that wants you,” he said.
