Guyanese journalist ordered deported from BVI

Guyanese-born journalist Cathyoliva O. Richards, who has worked in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) for more than a decade, has been ordered deported following her conviction for uttering forged documents.
According to a report published by Virgin Islands News Online on Friday, Governor Daniel Pruce issued the deportation order under Statutory Instrument 2026 No. 63, dated October 20, 2026, and published in the Official Gazette on October 22.
The order directs Richards to leave the Territory within 30 days of being served with a copy of the order and to remain outside the Territory thereafter.
Richards, a senior reporter with Japhix Entertainment’s JTV Channel 55 since 2016, was convicted by a jury in the High Court of the Virgin Islands on July 15, 2025, on a single count of uttering forged documents.
She was subsequently sentenced on January 16, 2026, by Justice Angelica Teelucksingh to two years’ imprisonment, suspended.

The case stemmed from work permit renewal applications submitted to the Department of Labour and Workforce Development in 2021, during the COVID-19 period, when applicants were required to provide certificates of good standing from the National Health Insurance, Social Security Board and Inland Revenue Department.
According to court documents cited in the earlier report by Virgin Islands News Online, Richards was accused of knowingly submitting a forged Certificate of Earnings purportedly issued by the Social Security Board, with the intent to deceive or defraud the Department of Labour and Workforce Development.
Richards maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings, arguing that she was unaware the documents were forged when she submitted her application.
During the trial, she testified that she had checked the spelling of her name, which she said was often misspelt, but did not initially notice other discrepancies in the documents.
She also pointed to inconsistencies in the year recorded on the Social Security document, the earnings stated and the spelling of the word “Certificate”.
Production Assistant Hitesh Yadram, who was charged in connection with the same matter, was found not guilty of two counts of uttering forged documents.
The trial began on June 17, 2025, before Justice Teelucksingh, with Principal Crown Counsel Tracy Vidale prosecuting the case.
Richards, who has established a career in television reporting in the Virgin Islands, had received a Virgin Islands Icon Award for her work in the media shortly before the jury delivered its verdict.
Virgin Islands News Online reported on October 23, 2026, that an appeal was likely.