Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 January 2017, 17:18 by Denis Chabrol
Four spanish-speaking women today came before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where they were charged for a number of immigration offenses.
The women were first picked up during a recent raid on the popular Rio Nightclub in Queenstown, Georgetown. That night club has been subjected to many raids, and was once shut down officially, but later reopened its doors.
The first accused is a national of the Dominican Republic. She pleaded guilty to one charge that she conspired to forge local arrival and departure stamps, along with a tourist visa in her DR passport purporting it was issued by Guyana’s immigration service.
The second charge against the first accused was one of failure to present herself to local immigration officials when she entered Guyana on November 12, 2016 at Springlands, Berbice.
The first accused plead guilty to both charges, and was fined $30,000 for not presenting herself to an immigration officer when she entered Guyana. On the conspiracy to defraud charge, she was fined $50,000 or 6 weeks in prison.
The second accused, a Cuban national from Havana, plead guilty to one charge that between December 30, 2016, and January 20, 2017, she overstayed her time in Guyana since her immigration stamp allowed for stay between November 29, 2016 to December 29, 2016.
The second accused also plead guilty to the charge that between December 30, 2016, and January 20, 2017, she conspired with one or more persons to forge a Guyana immigration arrival stamp, with intention to defraud, in her Cuban passport.
On accused no.2’s charge of overstaying her time, she was fined $30,000 or four weeks in prison. While on the conspiracy to defraud charge, she was fined $50,000 and will be imprisoned for 6 weeks if she fails to pay.
The third accused, a 32-year-old Dominican Republic national, pleaded guilty to both charges against her.
The first was that between November 26, 2016, and January 20, 2017, she conspired to forge a local immigration arrival and departure stamp. While the second charge read that she overstayed her time between November 26, 2016 to January 20, 2017, since she was only allowed one month’s stay from October 25 to November 25.
Accused no.3 was fined $50,000 or 6 weeks in prison for conspiracy to defraud, and $30,000 or 4 weeks in prison for overstaying her time.
The fourth and final accused, a 33-year-old Dominican Republic national, pleaded guilty to one charge that between November 12, 2016, and January 20, 2017, she overstayed her time in Guyana. Her second charge read that between November 12, and January 20, she conspired to forge local immigration arrival and departure stamps.
Accused 4 was fined $60,000 for conspiring to defraud or 6 weeks in prison, and $30,000 or four weeks in prison for overstaying her time.
All of this information became known to police authorities when the passports of the women were examined following the raid on the popular Rio Night Club. The four women will be deported after they pay their fines, or serve their time.
All of the accused entered Guyana legally through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, except for the first accused who entered Guyana from Suriname through Springlands, Berbice.
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