Venezuelans fined for illegal entry

Two female Venezuelans were on Thursday fined ,000 each for entering Guyana illegally after they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Flagner Lagabani, 27, and Leslie Abrigo, 18, pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on July 23, 2016, at Charity, Essequibo, they entered by sea and disembarked without the consent of an immigration officer

The prosecution’s case stated that the duo travelled to Guyana by a small boat and did not go to an immigration office to gain permission to enter the country. They were seen on September 13, 2016 in Linden by police ranks and were unable to produce documents to verify their legal status in Guyana. As such, they were arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters and later charge.

Lagabani told the court that she came to Guyana in search of her smaller sister who was being abused while Abrigo said both of them were abused and badly beaten in Guyana.

Abrigo added that they have made several reports to the Police Station in Linden but all their complaints were ignored since police ranks never penned any of their complaints neither collected statements from them. She further stated that if she had known that it was illegal to enter Guyana by boat through the Essequibo River she would have never come to Guyana.

Chief Magistrate McLennan ordered an immediate investigation into the defendants’ claims. The unrepresented duo was fined $20,000 each or failure to pay the fine will result into four months imprisonment. The duo will be escorted to the nearest port of exit after paying their fine or serving sentence.