AFTER almost four days in protective custody following the Queenstown nightclub raid, six strippers from the Dominican Republic were fined for overstaying their time in Guyana and for conspiracy.
Appearing before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Monday, Shakira Alcantara, Estefani Orozco, Elizabeth Rosario, Yaliana Parez, Yesenia Holguin and Seleyny Rodriques were each fined $50,000 after pleading guilty to the charge which stated that they had each overstayed their time permitted in the country. They had been allowed to stay in Guyana from April to May, but remained until July 14.

Speaking to the court with the aid of a Spanish interpreter, the Dominican Republic nationals were represented by attorney Mark Waldron, who explained that his clients’ families had already booked their tickets to have them travel back home.

The women also pleaded guilty to conspiring with persons known and unknown to forge an extension of stay, purporting to show same was issued by the Central Immigration and passport office of Guyana.

They were each fined $30,000, with an alternative of four weeks’ imprisonment if they failed to pay the fine.

According to the women, they had paid a man US$300 at the Rio Nightclub/Inn to have the stamps placed in their passports because they had thought the stamps were authentic.

According to the prosecution’s facts read by Corporal Deniro Jones, the Dominican Republic nationals had arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in April and were granted one month stay in the county, during which they stayed at the Rio Inn at Forshaw & Oronoque Streets in Georgetown. On Thursday, July 14, the police and agents from the Ministry of Social Protection raided the hotel and apprehended the women; and checks made on their passports showed they had overstayed their time in the country.
(Clestine Juan)