ON Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 15 foreigners were placed before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, having been charged with illegal entry into Guyana.

Four of those charged were from Bangladesh. The group of four included Sirajul Islam, Ashraful Alam, Ohiduzzaman and Abul Hossain.

The charge alleged that, the four, on Sunday, March 8, 2020, at Springlands, Corentyne, entered Guyana by sea and disembarked without the consent of an immigration officer.
The Bangladesh nationals pleaded guilty to the charge.

According to the report, on the day in question, March 8, 2020, the immigration ranks attached to the Lethem Immigration Department, stopped route 94 minibus, transporting defendants, at the Kurupukari Checkpoint. The ranks checked the defendants’ passports and it was discovered that there were no entry stamps. An investigation was carried out and it was further discovered that the defendants legally landed in Suriname before entering Guyana via Springlands. As a result, the defendants were questioned and they revealed that they had entered Guyana from Suriname and had not presented themselves to immigration. They were arrested and carried to the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters where they were charged for the offence.

The defendants’ attorney, Adrian Thompson, informed the court that his clients came from Suriname and intended to go to Brazil. The attorney further stated that the person who was transporting the defendants ought to have taken the foreigners to the immigration officer instead of proceeding on the journey to transport them to Lethem. Attorney Thompson further mentioned that this misunderstanding had emanated due to there being a language barrier.

When the defendants were asked about their alleged act, they expressed that they came to Guyana to go to Brazil and that they had no knowledge that permission was required in order to go forth with their action.

Attorney Thompson, requested Chief Magistrate McLennan to allow the defendants to be transported back to Suriname, since it was there they came from before entering Guyana.
Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, after hearing the presentation, gave the Bangladesh nationals an ultimatum which stated that they must each pay a fine of $60,000 or be imprisoned for two weeks and be escorted to Suriname border after paying the fine or serving their time.

The other foreigners who appeared before the Chief Magistrate were eleven Sri Lankans. This group consisted of Antony Jevaraj Autonythasan, Prashar Vijaya Kumar, Thavaseelan Arumugam, Senthusaan Sriranjan, Nirajan Thambirasa, Judenathan Subamalai Dias, Nimalraj Victor, Akeepan Atputhathevarajah, Sujeevan Alex, Mathusarsakkararavarthi Rathnalingam and Thanujan Perinparasa.

The charge alleged that, on Sunday, March 8, 2020, at Springlands, Corentyne, they all entered Guyana by sea and disembarked without the consent of an immigration officer.
When the Sri Lankan foreigners were read the charge, they all pleaded guilty.
According to the report, on Sunday, March 8, 2020, the immigration ranks attached to the Lethem Immigration Department, stopped route 94 minibus, at the Kurupukari Checkpoint. The ranks checked the Sri Lankans’ passports and it was discovered that there were no entry stamps. An investigation was carried out and it was further discovered that the Sri Lankans legally landed in Suriname before entering Guyana via Springlands on March 8, 2020. As a result, the Sri Lankans were arrested and were taken to the Criminal Investigations Department, Eve Leary, where further investigations were conducted and they were later charged.

The defendants’ attorney, Adrian Thompson, presented arguments similar to those uttered on behalf of the Bangladesh Nationals.

When the defendants were asked about their alleged act, they expressed that they came to Guyana to go to Brazil and that they had no knowledge that permission was required in order to go forth with their action.

However, information was provided to the court by the prosecutor that one of the defendants, Senthusaan Sriranjan, had committed a similar offence on February 28, 2020 and was given an ultimatum of paying a $40,000 fine or being imprisoned for eight weeks. Then he was escorted to the nearest port on February 29, 2020 to Suriname.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, after hearing the case, gave the Sri Lankan nationals an ultimatum which stated that they must each pay a fine of $60,000 or be imprisoned for two weeks and be escorted to Suriname border after paying the fine or serving their time.