PRINCIPAL Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on Thursday remanded a 52-year-old Cuban for allegedly forging a visa appointment letter and presenting it to a clerk at the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Citizenship.

Lazaro Alanzo pleaded not guilty to the charge when same was read to him with the aid of a police interpreter.
The court heard that on December 17, 2018, at Georgetown, Alanzo, with intent to defraud, presented to Iyanna Harris, general clerk II at the Ministry of the Presidency-Department of Citizenship, a visa appointment letter, dated January 11, 2019, in favour of himself, purporting to show that the document was issued to him by the Mexican Embassy, knowing same to be forged.

It was further alleged that, between September 29, 2018 and December 17, 2018, at Georgetown, Alanzo, with intent to defraud, forged the visa appointment confirmation document, dated January 11, 2019, in favour of himself.

Lastly, the court heard that Alanzo, between January 1, 2019 and January 8, 2019, at Georgetown, failed to comply with the conditions that permitted his staying in Guyana from September 29, 2018 to September 31, 2018.

“I’m not guilty, I was tricked” Alanzo told the court via the interpreter.
Police Prosecutor, Corporal Adoni Innis, objected to Alanzo being released on bail on the grounds that he was a flight risk. Alanzo was remanded to prison until the next hearing on January 14, 2019.