Information held by the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch Unit implicates Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed in a range of serious offences, including murder, torture, execution-style killings, employee abuse and bribery, the unit’s head told the court Tuesday.
Senior Superintendent Prem Narine made the disclosure while facing continued cross-examination in the extradition proceedings involving Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed.
Defence Attorney Siand Dhurjon was probing the basis for Narine’s earlier assertion that he regards Azruddin as a threat to national security, and the society.
Narine maintained that position when asked directly whether he believed Azruddin Mohamed posed such a threat.
“Yes, I do believe so,” the senior police officer said.
Asked what informed his view, Narine referred to intelligence in his possession.
“I have information. It suggests that he’s involved in murders,” he told the court.
Under further questioning, Narine said the information also referred to torture, execution-style killings, the beating of employees and bribery.
Dhurjon sought to establish whether Narine was alleging that Azruddin Mohamed was responsible for each of the offences identified.
Narine confirmed that he had information indicating that the Opposition Leader had done “all of these things.”
The defence then focused on where the intelligence was held.
Narine confirmed that the Special Branch Unit had the information and agreed that the Guyana Police Force therefore had it.
Questions also turned to the National Security Council. Narine confirmed that he is not a member of the council and identified the Commissioner of Police as the representative of the Guyana Police Force.
Dhurjon subsequently asked whether Narine had personally been involved in investigations into the matters he had mentioned.
Narine said he had participated in some of the investigations and, when asked which offences he had investigated, replied, “Murders.”
Narine’s testimony is being challenged by the defence, which has been examining the source and reliability of the intelligence underpinning his assessment of Azruddin Mohamed.
The extradition hearing is continuing this afternoon at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman, with further cross-examination of Narine.
