A number of foreign nationals were on Friday morning hauled before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where they were ordered to be deported after pleading guilty to a charge of departing Guyana illegally.
Some of the charged foreign nationals arriving at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts
Haitians Jean Marcellus, Lilens Sean, Ilnord Mission, Louinel Georges, Miglande Simon, Marie Lovelie Isme and Cubans Raul Rodriguez, Carlos Jimenez and Lazaro Lopez, with the assistance of an interpreter, pleaded guilty to the charge which read that on February 19, 2020, at Takutu, Lethem, they departed Guyana illegally without presenting themselves to an immigration officer.
According to the prosecution’s case, the group of foreigners entered the country legally through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and were each granted six months’ stay. However, Police in Lethem intercepted the bus in which they were travelling and discovered that the foreigners had no documents signed by immigration officers indicating that they were leaving the country.
The defendants were arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where they were cautioned and told of the offence with the assistance of an interpreter.
Magistrate Faith McGusty, who read the charge, fined each foreigner $30,000 or default three months’ imprisonment, and ordered that they be deported.
