Haitian fined, faces deportation for overstaying in Guyana

A 39-year-old Haitian man, who overstayed in Guyana and plead guilty to the offence, was on Thursday fined $60,000 or in default six weeks imprisonment, along with deportation.
Pierre Baptiste appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The charge alleged that between December 29, 2018 and July 1, 2019 at Georgetown, he, being permitted to stay in Guyana from November 28, 2018 to December 28, 2018, failed to comply with conditions subject to which any permit was granted by overstaying the said period.
Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the Court that Immigration ranks were conducting an operation at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), where several persons were soliciting passengers and it was during that operation Baptiste was arrested.
He further stated that a search was carried out and his passport was discovered in his possession. Upon examining the passport, the ranks discovered that he had overstayed his time in Guyana.
Baptiste was arrested and taken to the CID Headquarters, where further checks were made by the investigating ranks and it revealed that he came to Guyana legally via CJIA.
The ranks made checks at the Ministry of Citizenship to see if he had applied for an extension but it was discovered that the defendant did not.
When asked by Magistrate McLennan if he wanted to say anything to the Court, the man refused.