SIXTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD Venezuelan Joao Pereira Da Silva appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday, charged with illegal entry to Guyana. Through an interpreter, the defendant pleaded guilty to the offence that said, on Sunday, October 20, at Charity, Essequibo Coast, he entered this country by sea and disembarked without the consent of an immigration officer.
Attorney-at-law Mr. Peter Hugh, who represented Da Silva, told the Court that the alien has been residing at Lot 11 Collingwood Avenue, Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara, during his stay but he is a married man who has six children and is on vacation here.
The lawyer said, in order for someone to get a visa to enter, they have to travel to Caracas, which is a very far distance from where Da Silva lives and the other way of getting the travel document is by making an application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Da Silva was fined $30,000.