Chief Magistrate (ag) Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on Wednesday charged and fined 23 Haitian nationals for attempting to illegally depart Guyana.
It is alleged that on January 13, 2020 at Lethem Region Nine (Upper Takutu Essequibo), the group of foreigners attempted to leave Guyana without the consent of an immigration officer.
On the day in question, the Haitian nationals were caught en route to Brazil.
When apprehended, they were asked to present their travel documents and it was observed that the defendants are legal in Guyana, since they were granted 6 months stay in the country.
In court, the group of Haitians pleaded guilty to the charge with the aid of an interpreter.
They explained that they were unaware they had to present themselves to an immigration officer before travelling to Brazil.
As such, they were each fined $30,000 or in default, 40 days in prison.
