FIVE defendants pleaded guilty to charges of illegally departing Guyana for a foreign land when they appeared yesterday before Springlands, Corentyne Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh. They were each fined $20,000 with an alternative of two weeks’ imprisonment, but they each opted to pay their fines.Trihan Jaikarran, his brother Gowin, along with Alexander Kissoon and Ansa Sulora, confessed to leaving the country for a foreign land between February 29 and March 12.

Police Inspector Godfrey Player, prosecuting, said the five persons were arrested at the Number 78 Village foreshore. The defendants, for whom no addresses were given, had departed for Suriname by means other than a port of entry under the Immigration Act.

They have expressed regret over the incident.