TWO nationals of the Dominican Republic were on Monday fined $15,000 each for overstaying their time in Guyana.Appearing before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, 31-year-old Anna Matero and her 20-year-old cousin Juanna Matero both pleaded guilty to the offence.

The court heard that between October 5, 2015 and March 11, 2016, the Materos failed to comply with the conditions of the Central Immigration and Passport Office. Permission had been granted for them to stay in Guyana from October 5 to November 14, 2015, but they overstayed their time.

Prosecutor Corporal Bharrat Mangru told the court that the duo was apprehended in Bartica on March 11, 2016. He said the police learnt that the women had arrived in Guyana through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and were granted only one month’s stay.

The Spanish-speaking duo, speaking to the court via an interpreter, declared that they were only visiting the country on vacation.
The Chief Magistrate imposed the fine on the women, and added a default sentence of 4 weeks’ imprisonment if they fail to pay the fine. She also ordered that the women be kept in police custody until they reached the nearest port of exit, from where they would be deported from Guyana.