A 52-year-old repeat offender was yesterday fined $60,000 by Magistrate Judy Latchman for forging a passport in his cousin’s name.

Sasenarine Etwaroo pleaded guilty to the charge that said on July 22 at the Central Immigration and Passport Office, Georgetown ,he made a false statement figured to a written declaration that he was Peter Persaud and that he had never held a passport, nor had he ever applied for one.
Police Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick told the court that the defendant went to the Central Immigration and Passport Office on July 22 and applied for a passport in the name of Peter Persaud. On September 25 last, he returned to the Passport Office and enquired about a lost passport.
He was identified by a rank and questioned, whereupon he admitted to applying for a passport in his cousin’s name and was charged.
The unrepresented man begged for the court’s mercy and apologised for the act. Failure to pay the fine will result in 21 days imprisonment.
Recently, Etwaroo was fined $80,000 by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry for similar offences, that is, making an untrue statement on a passport application form and making a false statement.
On July 18 last, he accepted that between November 17 and 30, 2012, for the purposes of procuring a passport, he knowingly made an untrue statement on a passport application form in favour of himself, stating that he had never owned a passport.
The man also pleaded guilty to making a false statement that he had never previously applied for a passport.
In tears, Etwaroo apologised to the court, accepted responsibility for the act and pledged that it would not happen again. He begged for leniency and indicated to the chief magistrate that he did not want to waste the court’s time.
After listening to his plea, the Chief Magistrate fined Etwaroo $40,000 on each charge with the alternative of one month imprisonment on those previous offences.

(By Geeta Rampersaud)