A WEST Coast Berbice man was last Friday fined $15,000 for dumping garbage along the highway. Bryan Jhingoree of Number 22 Village was found guilty of committing the offence on August 12.The charge read that he dumped a large quantity of domestic waste on the southern side of the Number 22 Village Public Road within the Union/Naarstigheid Neighborhood Democratic Council (NDC), knowing that his action would be a nuisance and be injurious to the health of residents in the area.

Jhingoree was absent from the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court when the charge was brought up before Magistrate Rhondell Weever by Senior Environmental Health Officer in Region Five, Ignatius Merai.

Magistrate Weever entered a not guilty plea for him and proceeded to hold a trial in his absence.

Merai told the court that Jhingoree had apparently been employed by some businesses in the area to collect their garbage and dump it wherever he deemed convenient.

Merai said that he had dumped one set of garbage on the road reserve when he was spotted by a concerned citizen who promptly reported the illegal activity to the Environmental Health Department.

Officers of the department responded to the complaint and caught him red handed dumping another set of garbage on the road reserve.

After receiving evidence from supporting witnesses, the magistrate found Jhingoree guilty in his absence.

She ruled that he pay the fine or spend 21 days in prison.

The magistrate also ruled that he must clean up the garbage, and failing to do so will see the NDC doing the clean-up and recovering the cost from him.

Having been found guilty in absentia, the police are expected to locate Jhingoree and get him to comply with the ruling of the Court.