A Cuban dentist appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with forgery, overstaying and conspiracy.
Eileen Aguilla, 29, currently of Lot 47 Bel Air Park, Georgetown, answered to the first charge which stated that between September 13 and 14,2016, she, with intent to defraud, conspired to forge arrival and departure immigration stamps for Guyana, purporting they were issued by local immigration services.
Eileen Aguila, (in red) was today slapped with three immigration charges
The second charge stated that she, on January 18, 2017 at Moleson Creek, Berbice, presented the passport with the fake stamps to a Guyanese immigration official when she attempted to leave Guyana for Suriname, knowing same to be false.
The final charge stated that between August 16, 2016 and January 18, 2017 at Georgetown, she failed to comply with conditions under which any permit had been granted – that is, she overstayed in Guyana for the said period.
The woman pleaded guilty to the first two charges; however, she denied the last charge against her. After her explanation to the court and an apology, Magistrate Latchman changed her guilty pleas to not guilty.
The defendant said that she was before the court because of “ignorance” as she had no knowledge that she was being deceived by another Cuban, who inserted the stamps for US$200, informing her that she was granted a three-month extension.
However, Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves objected to bail on the grounds Aguilla was not Guyanese, so she was a flight risk.
She was placed on $150,000 bail each for the first two charges, and $50,000 for the third charge. The second charge was transferred to Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, who fined the defendant $75,000.
Magistrate Latchman requested that Aguilla’s passport be lodged at the Cuban Embassy.
The defendant told the court that her documents for employment were currently with the Ministry of the Presidency and as such, no deportation order was issued.
