No Warranty
Scammer hater
(CNN) -- A top Nation of Islam official arrested in Guyana on suspicion of terrorism was released by police Friday afternoon, his lawyer there said.
"He has been unconditionally released," said attorney Nigel Hughes, adding he expected Akbar Muhammad to leave the country Saturday.
Earlier, Muhammad said he was the victim of a "smear campaign" and demanded an apology from the Guyanese government.
Muhammad, who also was held on suspicion of ties to drugs, said that this "was a classic case of disinformation."
"It's just wrong," he said in a phone call from the courthouse, adding that he would seek a formal apology.
No formal charges had been made against Muhammad, the international representative of the Nation of Islam, led by Louis Farrakhan, said Guyanese Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee.
Muhammad was taken into custody at his room at the Princess International Hotel early Thursday, Rohee said. Authorities in the South American nation had 72 hours to press formal charges.
Rohee gave no other details.
A hearing was held Friday afternoon, but the judge issued no order, said Hughes. Still, Muhammad was released soon after. Representatives of the Nation of Islam communicated with officials in Guyana, he added.
Hughes said Muhammad arrived in Guyana this week and appeared on two programs that aired on a television network run by the government's political opposition.
Guyana remains a racially and ethnically divided nation, with distrust existing between the Indian-dominated ruling party and the black-supported opposition, according to the U.S. State Department.
National elections are scheduled for August.
Hughes said police have not presented any evidence of terrorism and Muhammad was arrested because of his Afro-centric opinions.
"We are of the view that this is an act of considerable malice by police," he said.
Akbar has been "a top aide to Minister Louis Farrakhan from 1965 to present," according to his biography posted on the website of the Truth Establishment Institute, which handles his speaking engagements.
As the international representative for the Nation of Islam -- an African-American religious movement that gained attention in the 1950s under the leadership of Malcolm X -- he divides his time between the United States and Accra, Ghana, the biography says.
"For the past 29 years, Akbar Muhammad has traveled extensively around the world, mainly in North, West and South Africa. He lectures to civic organizations, students and business leaders about the advantages of doing business and traveling in Africa and the Caribbean," the biography says.
The FBI raided Akbar's house in St. Louis in 2007, according to an article in The Final Call, a newspaper started by Farrakhan. Supporters attended an event in Chicago in 2009 to raise money for Akbar's legal fees.
Muhammad was questioned by federal authorities and faced charges related to financial dealings, according to court documents. His attorney in Chicago did not immediately return calls.
"He has been unconditionally released," said attorney Nigel Hughes, adding he expected Akbar Muhammad to leave the country Saturday.
Earlier, Muhammad said he was the victim of a "smear campaign" and demanded an apology from the Guyanese government.
Muhammad, who also was held on suspicion of ties to drugs, said that this "was a classic case of disinformation."
"It's just wrong," he said in a phone call from the courthouse, adding that he would seek a formal apology.
No formal charges had been made against Muhammad, the international representative of the Nation of Islam, led by Louis Farrakhan, said Guyanese Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee.
Muhammad was taken into custody at his room at the Princess International Hotel early Thursday, Rohee said. Authorities in the South American nation had 72 hours to press formal charges.
Rohee gave no other details.
A hearing was held Friday afternoon, but the judge issued no order, said Hughes. Still, Muhammad was released soon after. Representatives of the Nation of Islam communicated with officials in Guyana, he added.
Hughes said Muhammad arrived in Guyana this week and appeared on two programs that aired on a television network run by the government's political opposition.
Guyana remains a racially and ethnically divided nation, with distrust existing between the Indian-dominated ruling party and the black-supported opposition, according to the U.S. State Department.
National elections are scheduled for August.
Hughes said police have not presented any evidence of terrorism and Muhammad was arrested because of his Afro-centric opinions.
"We are of the view that this is an act of considerable malice by police," he said.
Akbar has been "a top aide to Minister Louis Farrakhan from 1965 to present," according to his biography posted on the website of the Truth Establishment Institute, which handles his speaking engagements.
As the international representative for the Nation of Islam -- an African-American religious movement that gained attention in the 1950s under the leadership of Malcolm X -- he divides his time between the United States and Accra, Ghana, the biography says.
"For the past 29 years, Akbar Muhammad has traveled extensively around the world, mainly in North, West and South Africa. He lectures to civic organizations, students and business leaders about the advantages of doing business and traveling in Africa and the Caribbean," the biography says.
The FBI raided Akbar's house in St. Louis in 2007, according to an article in The Final Call, a newspaper started by Farrakhan. Supporters attended an event in Chicago in 2009 to raise money for Akbar's legal fees.
Muhammad was questioned by federal authorities and faced charges related to financial dealings, according to court documents. His attorney in Chicago did not immediately return calls.
